Rain on Me
by carmel90
Summary: Hermione Jane Granger life has turned upside down after her Sixth year at Hogwarts. And there is cutting involved, her mother has gone crazy and some one she loved dearly is dead. She finds out that she needs the last person she would ever be friends with
1. Disaster

Hermione sat on her window ledge looking out the window. It was raining pretty hard now and the lights in her room were off. She had dried tears on her face now. She didn't bother to wipe them off since more were soon to come.

"I hate this place!" Hermione wailed. She could still hear her mother and father fighting with each other again. They had been fighting ever since Hermione got out of her sixth year at Hogwarts. She didn't know why, but it had to do something with the fact that Hermione wanted to complete her last year at Hogwarts.

Flashback

Hermione climbed off the train at platform 9 ¾. She waited for Harry and Ron to get off with her since they always ran through the barrier together. Once they were through the other side though, Harry said goodbye to Hermione and Ron and went over to his aunt and uncle. Ron's family were waiting over by the front entrance door. He hugged Hermione quickly and rushed over to his family. They waved to her and waited for Ginny to run through the barrier. Once she was out and had hugged Hermione goodbye she ran over to her family and left with them. Hermione signed and sat on the bench near the door. At least two hours pasted and Hermione still didn't see her parents. She walked around the king cross station for half and hour. When she walked back to the bench where her things were, she saw her parents looking around for her. Hermione's mother didn't look too happy at the moment but her father was excited to see her.

"Hi." Hermione said to her parents. They both hugged her and began to walk back to the car. As soon as Hermione closed the door to the back seat her mother went off.

"Hermione you are not going back to that horrid school!" Hermione didn't know what had happened but her father came to her rescue.

"I thought were weren't going to bring this up until later Jane." He sounded upset with her mother and Hermione didn't know why. She didn't know why her mother didn't want her to go back to school either. And she had to find out why too.

"Mom, why not?" Hermione asked.

"Why not? You almost got killed! There was a attack there and the headmaster is dead! To hell with you going back to that bloody school!"

"Mom, but there is always an attack and I've always manage to protect myself. And we have a new headmistress anyway. So what's the problem?"

"I don't want you to go back to that school any more and that's it!"

"But ma…"

"Hermione Jane Granger! If you say another word about that school I'll make sure that you don't ever go back to the magical word again!"

After that Hermione quieted down. Lost and confused, she let the tears run down her face slowly. This wasn't fair. Her father hadn't said anything about it the entire time either. So the whole drive back to the Grangers home was silent. When they got there, Hermione ran up the stairs and slammed the doors. She ran to her bed and started crying freely. She just laid there and cried. After a while she heard her mother and father yelling at each other. Something was up, and she had an idea that it had something to do with her. She snuck out of her room, making sure she wouldn't be heard, and tip toed down the stairs, avoiding the ones that squeak. she reached the family den doors, since thats where the yells were coming from.

"JANE! YOU CAN'T JUST NOT LET HER FINISH HER LAST YEAR AT SCHOOL! THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO HELP HER WITH HER FUTURE!" Yelled Hermione's father.

"THE HELL I CAN'T! SHE'S MY DAUGHTER AND I DON'T WANT HER TO GO BACK TO THAT SCHOOL AGAIN! SHE ALMOST GOT KILLED! AT THE SCHOOL NONE THE LESS! SHE WON'T GO BACK IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO ABOUT IT!" Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She let the tears fall again and she bust threw the door.

"That's not fair!" She yelled at her mother. "You can't tell me to not go back to school! I have to take my N.E.W.T's and I have to help Harry! I'm going back to that school whether you want me to or not!" Hermione broke down finally. Her father rushed over and held her until she stopped crying, hushing her the whole time. When she did, her mother continued.

"Hermione, you are not going back to that school and that's it. You can go to school with the rest of your friends who live here. Now go up stairs and get ready for dinner."

Hermione couldn't believe this. Her mother was going crazy. Hermione sent glares toward her the lady she hardly knew anymore and ran upstairs. She wasn't coming down for dinner. She didn't care if she never ate again. She hated her mother at the moment. There was nothing she could do now. Her mother said she couldn't go back to Hogwarts again and she couldn't do anything about it. She rushed over to her desk and pulled out some paper and a pencil and wrote to Harry and Ron.

_My mother said I can't come back to Hogwarts. I don't know what to do. Please write back._

_Hermione._

She thought about how she would give it to them but then remembered that she didn't have a owl. She yelled in frustration, throwing all her things around her room until she she collasped on her bed in tears. After a while, there was a knock on the door. Hermione didn't want visitors, so she pretended to be sleeping. The door opened and she steadied her breathing.

"Hermione?" Came her fathers voice. She didn't answer. So he came in and sat on her bed. "Hermione, I'm so sorry about this. I don't know what to do now. Your mother found out about the headmaster death and she went crazy after that. Please understand that she means well. She wants to protect you. I'll try to talk her into letting you go back to Hogwarts but I don't know how much good that will do. I love you Hermione." Hermione felt tears fall down her face as her father left the room.

flashback ended

That was about a month ago. She hadn't heard from Ron or Harry either. She let more tears fall down her face as she touched the wounds on her arms. She just recently started cutting herself. There were a lot. Her mother just got worse and her father would just leave after their arguments. He would come back smelling like alcohol when he came into her room to kiss her goodnight. Then he would go back into the room that he had shared with her mother. Then they would start arguing again and that's when Hermione would start to cut herself. She felt like she was getting back at her mother. As she let the blood drop on the floor she felt a little better. Like everything in the world was going to be fine. Then after the pain subsided and the wound formed a scab, everything would come crashing down on her again. She stayed locked in her room most of the time and she didn't eat with the family. That started a whole new wave of arguments.

Hermione's mother thought that she was being disrespectful In what way, Hermione didn't know, but she never came down to eat with them for fear of having them start another argument. She kept to herself and never went to her friends house. They stopped calling her too. Hermione felt lonely. She cried herself to sleep almost every night now. She didn't care if she didn't go back to Hogwarts now. She didn't care if she didn't have friends anymore. She didn't care about anything almost.

The rain started to come done harder and the lights flickered off again. She realized that her mother and father stopped yelling when she saw him go to the car and drive off.

Great. She thought. More arguing for the night.

"HERMIONE!" Yelled her mother. She jumped up and rushed to the hallway above the stairs. This was unusual since her mother just let her stay up stairs.

"YES!" She called back.

"COME DOWN HERE!"

Hermione walked down the stairs into the living room. She remembered her sleeve was still rolled up so she quickly pulled it down so her mother wouldn't see it. "Yes?"

"Grandma and Grandpa are coming over for the weekend. I want you to be down here and active with the rest of the family. I don't want you locked up in your room is what I mean. I want you dressed in nice clothing and being respectable." Hermione just looked at her with the last comment.

_Like I don't_. Hermione said to herself.

"I'm cooking dinner tonight so be prepared. And don't look so miserable Hermione. It's really not that bad you know. Come here." Her mother grabbed her into a hugged and kissed the top of her head. She really did love her daughter. She just didn't want anything to happen to her. She let go of her and Hermione walked up the stairs to get ready. She knew her father wasn't coming back in time for dinner. That would leave another fight.

'_I wonder if she can keep her fat mouth shut tonight_.' Hermione said to herself. She began to get herself ready.

Later on

Hermione walked down the stairs in a dress she almost never wore. She put a delusion charm on her arm to make the scars go away. She didn't want awkward questions tonight. The rain came down harder and her grandparents weren't here yet. Neither was her father. She walked into the dining room and spotted her mother.

"Hey, Hermione have you heard from your grandparents yet? They were supposed to have been here two hours ago. I hope nothing happened to them. Can you set the table for me?" She asked Hermione. Hermione walked over to the cabinet that held the dishes. She grabbed some plates for them to eat on. She only grabbed four. She knew her father wasn't going to make it. That was a promise. She sat the last fork down when she heard the door open. Her mother rushed over to her parents and hugged them. Hermione's grandmother spotted her.

"Oh, Hermione! Look at yourself! You look beautiful! Oh, she looks like me when I was young." Exclaimed her grandmother. She hugged her and then walked into the living room. Her grandfather came over and hugged her this time.

"Wow, Hermione, you do look stunning. I bet you have the boys at school all over you." He said looking her over. Hermione hated the last comment.

'_No grandpa. I don't have boys all over me at school and I never will_.' She said inside her head. After he let her go, he turned to her mother.

"So sorry we're late. I hope we didn't spoil dinner. There was an accident and had us stopped for a while."

"Oh, really? I hope no one is hurt!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed. She walked into the living room to look for her mother. She found her switching on the television to the news. There it was. The accident. It did look bad to Hermione. She hoped it wasn't anyone she knew. But just as she thought that, the name came up.

"It seems as though the victim of the first car is dead. His name, wait, hold on, oh here we go. His name is Michel Granger."

A/N: So? What do you think? I think it's pretty good for the first chapter. Oh, and I don't know what Hermione's parents names are so I just gave them Jane and Michael. If you know their real names then please tell me. And yes, I know that I kind of picked it up from HBP. But I hope you liked it anyway. Leave a review and tell me if you do like it or if you absolutely hate it. I don't really care which one just… oh never mind. R&R plz!!


	2. Dying Wishes

Hermione felt the air in her lungs evaporate into nothing. She suddenly felt very dizzy and in the background she could hear her mother wailing over by the TV. Suddenly, everything started to fade from her eyes, and she heard the distant sound of someone calling her name and it went black.

Hermione looked at all the people who had come to the funeral that were standing around her. She felt as though she was in a dream. But she wasn't. This was as real as it was going to get and she couldn't do anything about it. Something else she didn't have any control over. Hermione got up to go the restroom. She could see her mother crying over by the casket. Hermione didn't care. She hadn't comforted her mother at all since the news announced the death. Hermione was told that Harry, Ron, and Ginny were coming but she hadn't seen them yet and stopped anticipating their arrival. Hermione walked out into the main hallway where people were still standing around talking. She felt the anger rush through her like water and she pushed through the bathroom doors. She walked over to the sink to splash water on her face. As she looked up at the mirror, she felt a rush of pain this time. She couldn't even look at her self anymore. Nothing was going right for her. She couldn't go back to Hogwarts, her father was dead, and everyone was acting like nothing happened at all. Worst of all, the people who she thought would always be there weren't anywhere to be found. Just then, Sarah, her moms best friend walked in.

"Hey, Hermione what are you doing in here?"

"oh, nothing I just wanted to wash my face is all." she answered drying her face off.

"Oh, well some kids are here to see you. They said they're from your school." Hermione felt the air in her lungs evaporate into nothing again. They're here. Oh Merlin. She couldn't face then now. But, she gathered up her strength, took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom to her awaiting friends.

* * *

(somewhere else)

"Draco! Get Down here!" Draco jumped at the sound of his voice. He rushed down to where he heard his fathers' voice. He was in the den, standing over his mother who apparently wasn't moving.

"Yes, father?" Draco said after eyeing his very still mother.

"Take your mother upstairs and tell the elves to care for her until I come back."

"What happened to her?" Draco asked.

"Draco, don't ask questions about what has happened in the past. The dark lord doesn't approve of it. You'll never succeed as the right hand man of the dark lord. Remember that." Lucius turned and walked out of the room. When he was out of ear shot, Draco rushed down to his mother to examine the damage.

"David!" Draco called to one of the elves. An old looking elf wobbled into the room. "Take my mother upstairs. And be careful!" He commanded. The elf again wobbled over Mrs. Malfoy and snapped his fingers. She magically disappeared to the upstairs bedroom. "Now tell the other elves that I will need their assistance soon." David bowed and wobbled out the door. Draco rushed up the stairs to his injured mother. When he walked into the room, he saw his mother trying to get out of the bed but failing miserably.

"No mother you must lay down. You are injured very badly." Draco spoke softly. "What happened?"

Narcissa took a deep breath and whispered, "what do you think happened? Your father beat me again." Draco knew his father was abusive. But he had never done this much damage before. "He didn't like what I had to say about you fighting in the war against Potter." She spat the name like it was a disgusting taste. "So he hit me. I tried to fight back this time." She paused to take another deep breath. Draco could tell she was in pain and that she was dying, but she continued. "He used his wand on me." Draco saw a tear fall down her face. His own eyes began to water as she to continue to talk. "Draco, I know how afraid you are of fighting in that war. I see it in your eyes when he talks about it. If you fight, you will die. You have so much to look forward to in your life. Don't fight in that war, please. I love you and always will." More tears spilled from her eyes as well as Dracos.

"Mom please you must rest. The elves are coming to take of you."

"Draco I'm dying now as we speak. My time here is over. But you still have your whole life. Don't ruin it by fighting a fight that doesn't have anything to do with you." She started coughing and blood came up. More tears fell from Draco's face. "Listen to me. Go to the cabin in Old Man Forest. Your father doesn't know anything about it. It's protected by an ancient magic that hides it from anyone seeking to harm you. We used to go there when your father came home pissed out of his mind. Go there and stay there until school starts. When it does, stay hidden and return to school. Plead to anyone who will help you. Tell them that you wish to turn over to the good side. I love you and always will. Understand that. I wish for you to have everything in the world and become more powerful than ever imagined." She reached up to hug him as more tears fell down her face. She released him. "Now go. And don't ever come back here. Promise me you won't ever come back."

"I promise," Draco got up and turned to leave. He turned and walked toward the door. As he reached it, his mother stopped him.

"I love you Draco." She whispered. By now the elves were walking in. when they saw her, they rushed to her side. "No. Leave me alone." Draco couldn't watch anymore so he turned and walked out the room. When he shut the door, he felt a rush of pain and fear all at once. Pain for his mother and fear because now he knew he was alone in the world and the dark lord would be after him soon. As the thought hit him, he rushed to his bedroom and packed the things he needed. He grabbed his wand off his nightstand and walked out into the hallway. He passed the room his mother was in and sped up to keep from crying any more.

Draco reached the front door, took one last look at the hell he lived in and vowed to never look back again.


	3. Funeral

Hermione turned the corner and there they were. The friends she thought that had deserted her. She was filled with so much joy she forget all about the past few months as she rushed to them with open arms. First she hugged Harry, and then Ginny and Ron last.

"Hey Hermione, sorry about what happened to your dad." Ron said, looking at the floor. Hermione smiled at the small attempt to be compassionate.

"Thanks Ron". She said giving him another hug.

"Yeah, we're really sorry about what happened." Harry agreed.

"Thanks you guys for coming. I really thought you weren't." Hermione felt ashamed thinking her best friends in the world weren't going to be there. She turned to Ginny who hadn't said anything since she got there. Ginny was looking around the place with tears streaming down her face. Hermione felt the need to wrap her arms around her and wipe the tears away. But when she made the move to do that Ginny jumped out of fear.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" Hermione asked out of concern. Harry and Ron both turned around and saw Ginny crying. Harry's face softened but Ron huffed and turned to his weeping sister.

"God, Ginny. We are supposed to be here for Hermione. Not you. So stop your tears and grow up." Hermione and Harry both shot angry looks at Ron. Ginny just started weeping even more.

"Ron won't you shut up and stop being mean to her. You've been mean to her this whole summer. It wasn't her fault!" Said Harry practically yelling.

"Whatever." Ron said and turned away. Hermione just looked puzzled at the little blow out going on between Ron and Harry. She turned back to Harry but he answered her unasked question.

"I'll explain later."

* * *

Draco arrived at the cabin tired, hungry and in pain. He looked at the cut he received from Spence on his way here.

Earlier...

Draco closed the door to the Malfoy manor and looked around for any of Voldemort followers. He didn't see any so he continued to the forest. Just as he reached the edge of the woods, Devon, one of Voldemort fateful followers came up to him.

"Where are you going? He asked Draco. Draco tensed up but decided to play it smooth. He did not need trouble at the moment.

"On a mission for the dark lord. Why are you so concern?" Draco threw back.

"Your father said you were to stay home and care for your mother. Why aren't you there?" He questioned.

"She's none of your concern. Isn't the dark lords request more important that my mother?" Draco asked not being serious.

"Yeah I guess your right, but I was told to make sure you stay in the house until your father comes back."

"Forget what you were told. I don't give a rat's arse what you were told." Draco moved to go around him but Devon stepped in front of him again.

"I'm not going to let you pass me. Now just be a good little boy and go back home."

Draco took out his wand and pointed it to Devon. "Don't make me curse you. Now move out of the way." Devon didn't make a move. Draco got ready to shout a curse but Devon was faster. He disarmed Draco of his wand and Draco made a leap at him and started pounding him in the face. All his furry packed into the punches he delivered to Devon.

After Devon realized what was happening, he reached over to his wand lying inches away and grasped it. Draco, realizing what he was doing, reached over and snatched the wand out of his reach.

"Draco, what's gotten into you? This isn't you." Draco found himself pointing his wand right in the man face. He lowered it and took off running.

Draco ran through the trees and logs as fast as he could. He wanted to run to the end of the world. All of a sudden, he heard a loud crack and five death eaters appeared out of no where. Draco raised his wand to the first death eater he saw. He stunned him and shot the killing curse at the rest. He hit a guy named Spence with the stun spell and killed one other guy and three female death eaters._ 'Since when was the dark lord allowing the girls to fight?'_ He asked himself. When no one was left standing, Draco turned and continued to run to the cabin. He heard a rustle in the bushes near him but thinking it was just an animal, he continued. Out of no where, someone ran towards him in full speed and tackled Draco to the floor. It was Spence. Draco soon regretted not killing him as well. Draco felt the punches in his face. He almost blacked out if it weren't for the need to kill. Draco grabbed his wand and pointed it in the face of the man who almost beat the hell out of him. Spence didn't have a time to react when he heard the two words that surely meant someone was going to die.

Draco pushed the young boy off of him and continued to run to the very close cabin up ahead. He didn't feel the broken nose or the busted lip he was sporting. His only focus was the safe house he was to live in for the next 2 months.

* * *

Draco walked to the bathroom to examine his broken nose. He shook his head in disappointment. Spence couldn't even break someones nose the right way. He smirked. Draco raised his wand to fix his nose when he stopped. He could of sworn there wasn't anyone else in the house when he first came. _Always check your area before you get comfortable idiot. _He spoke to himself. He turned to the bathroom door to see where the noise came from but he didn't see anyone so he continued to fix his nose when he stopped again. This time Draco walked out the door and looked down the hallway. But no one was there. As Draco turned to walk back to the bathroom he felt something pull his pants. Startled he looked down and saw a young house elf staring up at him.

"Excuse me master but may I fixes your nose?" The elf asked Draco. Draco didn't know what to say to such a young house elf but he nodded his head. The elf snapped his fingers and Draco's nose went back to its usual shape and form. Draco went to the bathroom to see if there were mistakes. He viewed it and shook it head in approval.

He turned to look at the elf on the ground to find him staring at him. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Rachel." She said full of confidence. Draco shook his head showing he approved. "May I heal the rest of them?" she asked pointing to the bruises and scratches covering his body. He shook his head in a positive way. She snapped her fingers again and all his wounds were healed. Draco smiled gratefully but didn't thank Rachel. He wouldn't stoop that low. Draco had found someone to keep him company till he would leave for school. And he was grateful.

* * *

It had been a horrible day for Hermione. With the exception of her best friends arriving. Hermione sat through the ceremony holding back tears as they gently lowered her father to his grave. Ginny, who hadn't said a word since Ron went off on her, stood there quietly. Ron had been throwing daggers at Ginny since they arrived. Harry rolled his eyes at his friend. Hermione, still confused as ever, just wanted to be left alone for once.

_Everyone has been so nice to me. I don't even know why. Ron is being a prick and Ginny won't stop crying._ She turned to look at Harry. _Harry is the only one acting normal_. He turned to look at Hermione and gave her a compassionate smile. She slightly returned the smile. Hermione turned back to seen them bring the poles back up. She could hear her mother wailing five people down from her. Her grandparents tried comforting her as much as possible but it wasn't working. Hermione turned and began to walk away, when a man grabbed her arm.

"Are you Hermione Granger?" He asked her. Hermione had no idea who this strange man was but she shook her head none the less. Harry and Ron notice the two interacting and stepped up behind her. The man looked at the two boys but continued. "Can we go over there please?" He asked not wanting other people to hear their conversation. She moved to walk over to a diserted area when she realized the man wasn't behind her. She turned to look at him and found him staring at the two boys trying to follow her. "Oh no, I just need to talk to Ms. Granger alone for a second."

"What ever you need to say to her you can say to us too." Harry said walking around the strange man to look him in the face.

"Very well," he said with a defeated look on his face. He walked over to the waiting girl and began, "I used to work with your father. He always talked to me about his problems at home. I've heard a lot about you as well," Hermione shook his head and allowed him to continue. "He told me that your mother won't let you continue school. Right?" He asked her. Hermione felt uneasy. He knows. Hermione looked at Ron and Harry. They looked back to each other then back at the man. "It's okay. I know about everything. See, I'm a wizard too." Hermiones eyes bulged at this revelation This man was talking to her father and he knew about the wizarding world. Not only that, he belonged to it as well. They stared silently at each other for a while. The man continued." Well, I've come here to inform you that you can go back to school." Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was going back to school with her friends.

"But…how?" She asked.

"Well, let's just say I pursuaded your mother into letting you go back." He said with a smile. Harry and Ron weren't too sure about this.

"What did you do?" Harry asked now stepping up.

"Nothing really. I just told her that it was Mr. Granger's last wishes before he died. She agreed quite fast now that I think about it." He said looking up at the sky, seeming to not be interested in their conversation. "So, now that you will be attending your last year at Hogwarts how do you plan to get your supplies?" He asked turning back toward the three kids standing in front of him.

"The same way I get them ever year. Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously. The man sensed her worry and straightened up.

"Oh nothing. I… I just wanted to make sure that everything was going to be arranged appropriately". He stammered.

"Well, thanks but no thanks. Everything is under control now. And thank you for talking to my mother." Hermione smiled at the man and walked around him to get to the rest of the people. Harry and Ron took one look at the man and rushed to catch up to Hermione.

"Hey Hermione, why were you being so rude to that guy just now?" Ron asked.

"I don't trust him." She murmured not taking her eyes off the ground as she walked.

"I agree. I don't trust him at all either." Harry spoke quietly. "We need to be careful around him. He could be working for Voldemort."

_Great. That's all we need right now. More trouble with that bastard_. Hermione said to herself. Hermione felt a drop of rain fall on her cheek. She looked up as millions of rain drops started falling everywhere. Everyone around her rushed to find shelter somewhere. She just walked over to where her father lay in the ground and looked at the top of the casket. That's when she lost it. For the first time that day Hermione cried at her fathers' funeral.


	4. Secrets Revealed

Hermione said goodbye to her mother as she waved with one hand and wiped the tears away with the other. They had a talk about what Hermione was going to do. Her mother had agreed reluctantly that her father would have like it if she returned to school. So, she was going back to school. Remus Lupin came to pick her up two weeks later. He insured her mother that her daughter was going to be heavily protected. Hermione took one last look at her house and walked down the street with Remus.

"So Hermione, how are you feeling?" He asked her. Hermione looked up, and thought about it.

"Fine I guess. Nothing special has been going on though." She said looking down at the ground again. _'yeah nothing except my father is dead.'_ Hermione said in her head. Then she thought about the guy who was at the funeral. "Hey Remus I have a question. Did you know there was a wizard who worked with my father?" She asked.

"No, I did not know. Do you know his name?"

"No but he stopped by the funeral. He's the person who talked my mother into letting me go back to Hogwarts. I don't know who he is though." Hermione went into a deep thought again. _'If the order doesn't know who this guy is then…'_

"Hermione I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. He might have been put at your fathers' job by the ministry. This guy you're talking about might have been your fathers' closest friend during these hard times."

"I don't know. I still don't feel comfortable about this guy." Hermione looked up with a worried look etched across her face.

"Listen, I'll try to get some Order members to check up on this guy. See what he's all about. Will that make you feel better?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "Thank you." She said. They continued with the walk until Hermione arm started itching again. She tired to scratch through her clothing but it wasn't working. She didn't want to lift her sleeve up because she still had the scars on it. Remus noticed Hermione getting frustrated with her arm so he decided to help.

"Hey Hermione, let's take a look at that". Before Hermione could stop him he took her arm and raised the sleeve and saw the scars. Hermione snatched her arm away as fast as she could but it was too late. He saw. Remus didn't say anything, he just stared at the spot where her arm had just been. Hermione pulled her sleeve down, picked up her things and continued walking. When Remus noticed that she had begun walking again he called out her name." Hermione!"

Hermione stopped in her tracks. _'Here it goes._' She said in her head as she turned slowly to face her ex-professor. He stared at her for a moment and then walked to where she was.

"Care to explain?" He asked pointing to her arm. Hermione ran her hand across them and looked back up.

"No not really." She said looking the ex-professor in the eyes.

"Hermione I don't know what to say. This is… does Harry and Ron know about this?" He asked. Hermione shook her head no.

"And I don't want them to know either. So if you please, don't say anything to them." Hermione turned to walk away but Remus stopped her.

"Hermione I can't just keep this a secret you know." Someone has to help.

"You know. Don't you? I don't need anyone else to find out. Hermione let a lone tear slide down her cheek. "And I really don't need help either. I'm doing fine now so can we please go to Grimauld place? I don't feel comfortable standing in the middle of the street." She looked around her.

"Sure." Remus spoke quietly as possible. He too sensed someone else's eyes on them.

* * *

Draco laid on the couch in the small cabin. There really wasn't anything to do there so he slept most of the days off. The other days he practice spells, worked out, or talked to Rachel.

He had three more weeks until school started again. He was growing restless by the minute and he had no one to talk to. Not including Rachel. He needed human contact. He was going crazy just sitting there. Day after day.

"Master, would you like for me to fix some lunch for you now?" Rachel asked, marching out of the kitchen. Draco shook his head yes.

"Thanks." Draco was surprised of how he treated Rachel. He was nicer to her than he was to anyone else. Which amazed him because he would have never even dreamed of being nice to a house elf.

_I really need to get out of here._ He said to himself. He got up and walked to the loo to wash-up for lunch. The cabin was already smelling good. Pizza.

By time Rachel had gotten the pizza ready, Draco was sitting at the table waiting.

"Smells good." He said eyeing the hot bubbly cheese on top. Rachel placed it in front of him and handed him a plate. She bowed and turned to walk away. But Draco stopped her.

"Rachel?" Draco called. "Would you like to sit with me?" He asked her. Rachel turned around slowly.

"Master, you know I cannot. It's against the house elf rules. We do what we're supposed to do and we leave. That's our rule."

"Don't tell me about the damn house elf rules! I know about them! I just can't stand being here without someone to talk to!" Draco yelled.

"Master I am sorry for you discomfort. I know you do not wish to be here. I still do not understand why you must lock yourself in here." Rachel said.

"I know. I know." Draco said sighing. "It's just not fair. My mother didn't have to die. She could have let the house elves help her and she would be fine." Draco laid his head on the table and started crying.

"Master do you wish to be alone?" Rachel asked.

Draco jumped up. "No! Please don't go. You're my first real friend. Thank you." He said sitting down.

"Thank you master." Rachel said walking over to Draco.

"And don't call me master anymore. Call me Draco." He said looking at her.

"Okay master. Draco." She replied.

Draco laughed.


	5. Intruders

Chapter 5. Intruders.

Hermione arrived at Grimauld place greeted with hugs from Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, Hermione dear, how are you doing? I'm so sorry about your father. Are you okay?" She asked looking Hermione over. "I swear, every time you and Harry come back for the summer you look skinner and skinner." Mrs. Weasley turned to finish in the kitchen when Harry and Ron came running down the stairs to greet their best friend.

"Hermione! We're so happy you could come!" Hermione hugged her two boys. She was happy to finally be back. She looked around the place. It was abit cleaner than the last time. _'Mrs. Weasley must have really be cleaning lately.'_ Remus walked in and closed the front door with the rest of her things dragging behind him.

"I'll be in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley you guys." Remus smiled grimly at Hermione and walked in. She knew he was still thinking about what he saw on her arm.

"What's his problem?" Asked Ron looking at Remus when he walked into the kitchen.

"Don't know." she said looking down at the floor. She hated lying to her best friends.

"Come on Ron, let's get Hermione's things up to her room." Harry grabbed the trunk and Ron grabbed her bags. Hermione followed them to her room. When they arrived Harry opened the door to see Ginny crawled up into a ball on her bed. Hermione walked in and looked at her sad friend. She wrinkled her brow and turned to Ron.

"Ginny stop mopping around. Hermione's here." He said getting frustrated at her again.

"Ron! Leave her alone!" Harry yelled. Ron rolled his eyes and beckoned them to follow him downstairs again. Harry walked toward the door but Hermione stayed there.

"I think I'll stay here and get comfortable." She said looking at them. Harry nodded and walked out closing the door behind him. Hermione turned to Ginny.

"Ginny?" She called. Ginny didn't say anything. So Hermione sat on the bed. "Ginny what's wrong?" Silence. "Ginny please look at me?" Hermione asked. Ginny turned her head slowly toward Hermione. "Now tell me what happened." Ginny shook her head no. Hermione sighed and got up to go to her bed. "Well, if you want to talk to me then you know where I am." She said. Taking her clothes out of her suitcase and hanging them up. "I'm going downstairs with the boys. Feel free to join. If you want." Hermione said before closing the door.

Hermione found the boys in the drawing room playing exploding snap. "What's wrong with Ginny?" She asked.

"I don't know! She's been like that since…" Ron stopped mid-sentence, a glossy look in his eyes. After a while, he got up and walked out. Hermione turned to Harry.

He sighed and began. "This summer, before what happened to your father. Ginny, Ron, the twins and I were playing Quidditch outside at the burrow. Everything was fine until George slipped off his broom. We were pretty high in the sky at the time and to far away from him catch him. So Ginny decided to try and levitate him before he hit the grown. But she hit Fred instead and he started to fall also. George broke a lot of bones and cracked his skull. Fred, broke his back and is still in a comma. She hasn't forgiven herself this whole summer. And it doesn't help that Ron keeps yelling at her."

"How did she hit Fred instead?" Hermione asked confused.

"He got in the way when the spell was headed toward George. No one is mad at her except Ron. It scared him the most. It was horrible. Georges arms and legs where bent and twisted in so many ways. Fred, wow, Fred was bleeding so much from his head. His back landed on a huge rock."

"Are they okay?" Hermione asked worried.

"Well, George is better than Fred. He woke up at last week. But Fred? They don't think he'll make it. Well, at least the healers don't. he's still in a comma. And if he does wake up, he might not ever walk. George was pretty upset when we told him about his brother. He has to stay at St. Mungde for one more week until he can leave. He visits Fred everyday. I don't know what'll happened if he doesn't make it." Hermione was speechless. How could all of this have happened as she didn't hear anything about it? Hermione decided to push it aside and sit down in Ron empty chair.

"How has the rest of the family taken it?" She asked him.

"Mrs. Weasley is in a terrible state. One minute she'll be happy and doing things normally, like nothing is wrong. Then the next thing you know she's crying her eyes out and won't leave her room. I think since the battle at Hogwarts, she's been worried about her children. More so than before."

"Mr. Weasley, Well, lets just say he doesn't have much to say to anyone anymore. I think the stress from work is starting to affect him. And then his sons getting seriously injured? I feel bad for this family. They've been through so much. It's just amazing how they all hold together through all of this." Hermione shook her head in agreement.

"So, how have you been?" She asked him.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Been over here the whole summer just about. Nothing much. What about you?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean I still miss my dad. Nothing has gotten easier at my house. My mother drinks every chance she gets." Hermione said, thinking about all the times she went down stairs late at night just to find her mother knocked out on the kitchen table with two empty alcohol bottles not to far from her reach. "I'm just relieved to be here." She said finally.

"Well, I'm happy you're here."

"So what is the order doing since Dumbledore is gone." Hermione asked.

'They've continued doing what they've been doing. Just with McGonagall in charge of everything. And with me telling them what Voldemort has been up too."

"Has he been up to anything?"

"No. Nothing big at least. He's still hiding but ordering attacks in random places. I doubt there will be anyone at Hogwarts this year." Just then, Mrs. Weasley walked in.

"Hey, I just got your Hogwarts letters." She said smiling at them. She handed Hermione hers and Harry his. "Do you know where Ron and Ginny are?"

"Ginny is still in her room. But we haven't seen Ron in a while." Answered Harry as he opened his letter. "Nothing new." He said looking at Hermione.

Hermione just stared at her letter. It did feel abit heavier than usual.

"Um… Hermione, are you gonna open it?" Harry asked. She looked up and shook her head slightly. The letter was open before she even realized it. She tilted the letter slightly and out slid… The Head Girl Badge.

"Great Hermione! You made head girl!" Harry got up and hugged her. But then pulled away when he realized she wasn't hugging back. "Hermione? Are you okay?" She looked up.

"My father pushed me to be the best so I could get this. Now he's not even here to see it." Hermione felt a tear roll down her face onto her new badge.

"Oh, Hermione. I'm so sorry." Said Mrs. Weasley. Tears already running down her face as well. "Fred and George never made that status." Her eyes glossed over, much like Rons did not to long ago. Then she turned and rushed out the room.

"Listen Hermione, I'm sure he would be so happy for you. So you should be too." Harry said looking into her eyes. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, your right. He'll want me to be happy." She wiped her tears away and put on a smile. "Thanks Harry."

"No problem."

"I think I'm going to go lay down for a while, okay?" Harry nodded his understanding and Hermione got up and walked to her room. Ginny was gone and Ron wasn't anywhere to be seen. She could hear Mrs. Weasley in her room howling. She closed the door quietly and laid her new badge on the table next to her bed and laid down. _"I wonder who head boy is."_

* * *

Draco woke up, took a shower and sat down on the couch. This had been his normal everyday Activity. He would leave to go to Hogwarts in 2 days and he couldn't wait.

"Rachel! Has my Hogwarts letter arrived yet!" He yelled toward the kitchen. He heard the pitter patter of her running to him.

"Yes Draco! It's right here." She said handing him what he wanted. He opened it boringly and pulled out the list he always got. _"Well, I can't go get the supplies myself"_ he said to himself.

"Hey, Rachel. Do you think you could go to Diagon Alley and get my supplies? I want to go myself but you know I can't." Rachel nodded her head in excitement.

"Yes of course I will go shopping for Draco." She said jumping up and down. Draco smirked at her. "When do you wish for me to go?" She asked him eagerly.

"Um… how about later on today. Around two?"

"Okay! Would Draco like for me to do anything else while I am there?" She asked him.

No that will be all. But maybe you could go to Honeydukes-" Draco didn't get to finish due to the fact that there was a knock on the door. Draco's heart stopped instantly. As far as he knew, this cabin was hidden very well. No one could just stumble across it. Someone was looking for him. And he had a slight idea who it could be.

"Rachel," Draco whispered, "I want you to go see who it is. Okay? If they ask if anyone has been here say no. Understand?" Rachel nodded. "Wait! Do you think you can make me invisible and all the rest of my things?" He asked.

"No Draco. I haven't learned that skill yet." She said looking depressed now.

"That's okay. I'll do it. Just wait till you don't see me or anything else that would tell that I was here." Rachel Nodded. Draco grabbed his wand and performed the spell. Everything that would indicate that he was there vanished instantly. He looked around to check to make sure he didn't miss anything and performed the spell on himself. The person outside knocked harder this time, clearly getting impatient. Rachel looked around and saw nothing of Draco's existence. She nodded and opened the door to the stranger on the other side.

""Yes, how may I help you sir?" She asked the Man. He was wearing a long black traveling cloak. The man looked down at Rachel in shock. But regained his cold demeaner.

"Yes, where is your master?" the man asked. Rachel thought of a lie.

"I have not seem my master in weeks sir." Rachel answered honestly. It was true. She hadn't seen Narcissa in a month.

"Really? And has anyone come by lately?" He asked searching the deserted cabin.

Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat. "No sir. It's just been me sir."

"Well, then you wouldn't mind if I took a look around the place then do you?" He asked not waiting for an answer. He pushed her aside and walked in. Draco walked into the nearest corner, watching the man. "So you've been here by yourself for a few weeks?" he asked her.

"Yes sir." Answered Rachel, following the man around as he looked into the master bedroom.

"And you haven't seen anyone come by?"

No one sir. Rachel spotted a picture of Narcissa and Draco when they were both younger. Draco hoped and prayed that he didn't see it before Rachel could hide it.

But to Draco's utter amazement, Rachel snapped her fingers and the picture was gone.

"What did you just vanish!" Asked the man as he rounded on Rachel.

"N-nothing sir." She said walking backwards.

"Don't lie to me! I heard you! You snapped your fingers and made something vanish!" He yelled and pointed his wand at her.

"No! Sir I..I didn't! Nothing vanished!" She said cowering on the ground. The man just watched her with evil in his eyes. Then after a while, pulled back. He smirked at her.

"Very well." He said pocketing his wand. He took one last look around the cabin in case he missed anything and walked toward the door. He sneered at the house elf and slammed the door behind him. Draco didn't dare undo the charm until he was sure that the man was gone. He walked to the window next to the door and looked out. There he saw the man apparated. He breathe a breath of relief. He waved the wand on himself and he reappeared again.

He walked over to Rachel and helped her off the ground.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. She shook her head. "Okay. I'm going to leave everything else invisible. Okay?" She nodded again. "You did great you know. Thank you." She smiled weakly up at him. "Hey, I thought you told me that you didn't know how to vanish things?" He asked smiling at her.

"I didn't sir. I mean Draco. I was just thinking that I needed to get that picture out of here fast without him noticing it. Then I got this strange idea to snap my fingers. And poof! It was gone."

Draco smiled at her again and sat down on the couch. "Good job."

After a minute, Rachel asked Draco a question. "Do you know who that man was?" She asked him.

Draco thought for a minute and looked down at his hands. There, he realized he was holding a Head boy badge. Out of all the things bad that happened lately, finally something good came out of it all.

"Draco?" Rachel said looking at his badge and then back at him.

"Yeah, it was my father."


	6. Enemies

Hermione walked a couple of feet behind the Weasley family. They all had gotten their things and a little more than needed. They decided to have lunch at Lucky Grill right outside of Diagon Alley.

Hermione hadn't eaten much at all since she arrived at Grimmauld Place. Mrs. Weasley fussed over her every now and then but she didn't push Hermione. Just as they were about to go back home, the noise of a crowd gathering right outside the pub. Of course, they all went to see what was going on. As they pushed through the crowd that was already gathered at the door, they realized that the people where arguing about a house elf. A baby one. This of course infuriated Hermione so she stepped up to do something about it.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" She yelled at two teenage boys who were pushing the elf around. They both looked up wondering who dared tell them what to do and started smirking.

"What are you going to do about it if we don't?" the oldest looking one asked.

"Keep going at her and you'll find out." She spat. The youngest of the two pushed the poor elf on the ground. That made her even more upset. Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at the boys. "I said leave her alone." She glared at her. The boys pulled out there wand and pointed it at her.

"Harry this is getting out of control we have to stop this." Ron whispered to Harry, but Harry was already at Hermione's side with his wand pointed at the boys also. The murmurs behind them grew louder as everyone realized it was Harry Potter. The boys must of realized to because they lowered their wands and rushed away. Hermione walked over to the elf and helped her up.

"Thank you so much miss." Said Rachel.

"No problem. What is your name?" Hermione asked. Everyone around them had already left except the Weasley.

"Rachel miss."

"Mine is Hermione Granger. Where is your master?"

"My master could not come him self miss. He sent me here instead." She replied.

"Oh, is your master okay?" She asked Rachel. The little elf nodded.

"Then why couldn't he come his self?" Hermione pressed on. It wasn't like someone to send their house elf shopping for them. And plus, Hermione didn't like the idea that this person sent their elf to shop for them if they were perfectly fine.

"He is in hiding miss. He is not safe coming out here by himself."

"Why not?"

"I'm so terribly sorry miss. Rachel has already said to much. I must be going. It was nice meeting you and thank you for helping me." Rachel then turned around and began gathering the bags she had dropped.

"No problem." Hermione answered. It was indeed very strange for a underage house elf to wander Diagon Alley by themselves. Ron and Harry waited patiently behind her. She glanced at the elf now walking in the direction of Honeydukes, then turned to continue with her two best friends.

"What was that about?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I don't know. Do many people send their house elves shopping for them?" Hermione questioned.

"I don't think so. I've never seen one outside the house to be honest." Ron answered truthfully.

"Who do you think is in trouble?" Harry asked. The little elf didn't included who the person might be.

"That is beyond me. But lets enjoy the rest of our time here before my mum decides it's time to go home."

"Ron! Harry! Hermione dear! It's time to go back! Come along! And hurry up!" Called Mrs. Weasley from down the street.

"See what I mean?" the trio jogged up to the rest of the group. Hermione didn't mind going back. There was to much on her mind to actually enjoy the rest of the trip there anyway. Why would an elf be out here by itself? And who would this person be hiding from? Was the person in danger? The most important question would be who was this man. All these questions ran through the young Gryffindors' mind.

* * *

Draco walked through the corridors of the Hogwarts express toward the head's compartment. No one knew what had happened over the summer. And he wasn't about to tell anyone either. Everyone past him to their respective compartment with their friends. Draco never really cared for friends himself. They just sort of, followed him around. Of course, his only groupies were in Slytherin. And all of them had death eater parents. So he wasn't surprised when they walked up to him, with no more respect than they give a muggle. Draco smirked at the change of attitude toward him now. Even Pansy followed them instead of groping all over Draco. _'One upside to this.'_ Draco smirked at the thought.

"What the hell are you smirking at Malfoy?" Zabini questioned, losing all respected for their former Prince. Draco may not be on their side anymore, but no one was going to disrespect him.

"Watch your tone Zabini. I may have left the dark lord but you still have to respect me."

"And why is that? You think just because you're head boy that you could possibly boss us around now? Then think again."

"Not only am I head boy, But I can still Avada Kedavra your arses right here in this hallway and still get away with it. So, like I said, watch your tone with me Zabini." Malfoy threaten. The leader of the group backed down, but not before whispering to the blonde, "this isn't over, the dark lord is after you. So you best watch your back. You never know who may be watching for a chance to strike." And he stalked off down to the reserved Slytherin compartment. Pansy took one last look at Draco before following suit and closed the door behind her.

"Good riddance." Draco said under his breath. He wasn't scared. Due to the fact that Malfoy's don't get scared. So with the authority that he now had, he walked into the head compartment. Little to his knowledge, someone was already in there. Occupying the seat near the window. Her head was turned to the window so no one could see her face. Her brown curly silky hair fell down her shoulders and fell past her chest. She had long slender legs that would drive any normal wizard into a hormonal rampage. But the one thing that drove all thoughts from the now surprised head Boy was that this beauty was crying. She let no noise escape her, but there was definitely tears falling down her face. When she turned to see who had intruded the quite room, Draco had become shocked that he was ogling the mudblood.

Hermione was no longer sad but angered at the fact that Draco had walked into the head's room. Wiping her tears as fast as she could but certain that he had saw them, she stood up.

"What the hell are you doing in here Malfoy? This compartment is for the heads only. Not you." She glared at him.

"Exactly so what the hell are you doing in here?" He questioned in returned. She couldn't really be…

"I'm head girl you git!" She squinted at his badge on his chest. To her utter horror, it looked just like hers except it said head boy. "And I see you're head boy." She signed and returned to her seat.

"It appears you're not as stupid as I once thought Granger. I'm glad you can read." He was furious about the fact that she was head girl. So he would make her just as furious.

Hermione snapped her head around at him and began sending death glares his way. "Shove it Malfoy. I'm not in the mood to deal with you today." She turned back to the window.

"Oh, is the little mudblood Gryffindor in a bad mood. Did Weasley finally ask you out? That would make anyone in a foul mood. Or is it the other way around. Did he reject you?" Malfoy asked in a sarcastic awed voice. Then he doubled over in laughter. But before he knew it, Hermione's wand was pointed in his face for the second time. This stopped all funny thoughts from his head.

"First of all Malfoy. I don't like Ron like that and he doesn't like me like that either. Second of all, if I so as hear one more thing come out of that foul mouth of yours, you'll be missing one very important member. Understand?" She threated like no other. And it turned Malfoy on.

"What ever Granger." He said sitting down. She sent one more glare his way and they continued their trip to Hogwarts in silence.

When the train pulled to a stop in Hogsmeade, everyone gathered their things and hurried to the platform. Hermione pushed through the crowd toward the carriages that pulled them to the waiting school. She waited for Harry, Ron, and Ginny outside after putting her trunk in the back. It wasn't long before she could spot red hair pushing it's way toward her. She waited a second longer to make sure they saw her and climbed in. In a few moments the door to the carriage opened and her three friends climbed their way in. Ginny took a seat next to her and Harry and Ron sat across from her.

"So… who's head boy?" Ginny squeaked, unable to hold it in any longer.

"You'll never believe it. It's Malfoy." Hermione told them.

"What! You mean McGonagall made him head boy?" Harry asked outraged.

"Yup."

"I swear, if the git so much as look at you the wrong way…" started Ron.

"Don't worry about it you guys. I'm more than capable of handling the ferret myself." She reassured them. "But if things get out of hand you'll be the first to know." They seemed to accept that and talked about Quidditch for the rest of the ride.

When they reached the entrance doors of Hogwarts, everyone filed out and headed up the stairs to the entrance hallway. Hermione could smell the halls of Hogwarts. That's how she knew she was home again. The four of them headed toward the great hall for the feast. As they had done for the past six years, they looked up at the headmasters chair but didn't see the old man with the long white beard. Instead they saw their transfiguration teacher. It sadden them that Dumbledore wouldn't be there ever again. The whole staff table seemed down about it all.

Hermione, Harry and Ron made their way to their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Ginny headed over to Dean and the rest of the six years. They took a seat, with Hermione in the middle and waited for the first years to come in. Instead of McGonagall leading them, it was Professor Flickwick. The children seem to huddle away from the strange short person leading them.

After the sorting was finished, McGonagall began the beginning of term speech

"As you all know, our former Headmaster is no longer here with us. Though he will remain in our memory, we will go on like we have always. Of course most of you know the rules already, and for the first years, the forbidden forest is off limits at all times, no magic is allowed in the corridors between classes. And security has been boosted due to the events last year. Your potions teacher is professor Schulenburg."

Hermione turned to the staff table and gasped at who she saw. She turned to bored looking boys.

"It's him!" She whispered furiously to them.

"Who?" Asked harry.

"The man from the funeral. The one who got me to come back here!"

"Okay, so now he teaches us, what's the problem?" Ron asked. He never seemed to get anything.

"Remember we're suspicious about him. It just so happens that he's a wizard working with my father, then talks to my mother about me coming back here. And now he teaches here. I don't trust him." she said finalizing her statement.

"Hermione, you have good reason not to trust him but he hasn't really done anything. As far as we know, he helped you get back here." Harry reasoned.

"I still don't trust him." Hermione said under her breath. There was something about him in his eyes that he hid. Something bad. When she first met him, something horrible flew in her stomach. She had bad feelings about this man and it wasn't going to get any better.

"We also have new head Boy and Girl. Our Head boy is Draco Malfoy." He stood up but very few clapped for him. The trio found this odd, but ignored it. "And our Girl is no other than Hermione Granger." As she stood up, applause erupted in the great hall. It seem as if the whole room was clapping for her. Except Slytherin of course. "As for that, let the feast begin." She waved her hands and like it always did, food appeared on the tables.

Hermione sat back down, but not before sending a glance Malfoy's way. Something wasn't right. He was sitting alone. All the other Slytherins seemed to shun him away from the rest of the group. But it looked as though he didn't mind at all.

"Do you guys notice that?" Hermione whispered to the boys.

"Otice' hat." Ron asked, shoving more food into his already stuffed mouth.

"Malfoy. He's not being welcomed with the rest of the table." She pointed out.

"Maybe he did something that upset them." Harry glared.

"I think it's more than that." Hermione finalized.

"Let's not worry about. It's his problem. Not ours." Ron said after he swallowed his mouth full. With that they all ate the glorious feast with out another thought.

After the feast was over, Hermione bid her friends farewell and went to the heads common room. When she reached the portrait of a field of flowers and a boy and a girl running about, she realized she didn't know the password. She leaned against the wall and slid down it waiting for Draco. No longer than 10 minutes later, the blonde Slytherin came strutting down the corridor.

"Didn't get the password Granger?" He asked smugly.

"It would seem that way since I'm sitting out here waiting for you to open the door." She said standing up. How she loathe the blonde boy.

"Watch it Granger, I can make your life more worst than it already is." He said with a smirk.

"Just open the door, Malfoy."

"Fine, fine, don't get your knickers in a twist. Apple bottoms." He said to the picture. The girl nodded and let them in. Hermione stared in awe when she walked in.

The room was glorious. It was at least three times bigger than the Gryffindor room. The marble floor was a creamy color. The walls were a deep scarlet. The fire was blazing inside a carved golden fireplace mantle. The ceiling had a huge crystal chandler hanging from it, with a Lion and Snake painted around it. There were two couches in front of the fireplace, one red, one green. The red one had deep green pillows on it, and visa versa on the green. On the side where the red couch was, was a set of spiral staircases that went up to a door golden door with the picture of a lion above it. On the green side was the same set of stairs that went up to a silver door with a picture of a snake above that one.

"Granger make sure you stay off my side of the room. I don't what you messing it up with your filth." And with that said, Malfoy walked over to his side, up the stairs, set the password and walked inside shutting the door.

Huffing, Hermione walked up to her room set her password, which was teardrops, and opened the door. Inside, was almost as magnificent as the common room. Everything was red and gold. She had a king size bed with a golden comforter and red pillows with gold lace. There was a vanity set over in a corner with everything a girl would need lying on top. The closet was a walk in one. All her clothes were hung up and then some she didn't even have. A bookshelf with over 500 books stood in a corner next to two French doors. Hermione walked outside them and was shocked at the view. She had a clear view of the forbidden forest and the lake. The moon shone over everything. The mountains in the far distance had snow covering the tops of them. At that moment in time, Hermione felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world. That was until she realized the rest of the balcony lead to another set of French doors which happened to belong to the head boy. Hermione turned back into her room and notice another set of doors next to the bedroom door. She walked over and opened it to be greeted by a bathroom the size of the prefects room. The tub was about the same size but it had more facets for the different scents. To her utter horror, the door across from her own belonged to Malfoy.

Not happy at all about the situation, she headed back to her own room and closed the bathroom door. She walked over to her closet and picked out her pajamas for the night. Hermione changed into them and fell into bed ready for the restless night. Tomorrow school started, giving her something to look forward to this year. As she drifted off to sleep she could hear Draco in the bathroom turning on the water. The last thing she remembered was the scent of pine and mint.


	7. Friends

"Malfoy! Come on!" Hermione yelled up towards Draco's bedroom door. They had all their classes together and were to arrive at the great hall together before breakfast. They now were five minutes late. Hermione checked her watch, and then tried calling for the boy again. "Malfoy!" Just as she called one last time, the silver door opened.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Said an annoyed Draco. "I don't know why we even have to show up together anyway." He said under his breath.

"Just hurry up." Hermione said picking up her bag and headed for the door.

"Whoa, what has gotten our feisty Gryffindor upset on this fine morning?" Draco asked catching up.

"As if you need to ask! What the hell are you doing in there that takes longer than me to get ready?" She asked keeping a brisk pace.

"I, unlike you, have to take care of my hair, thank you very much. It doesn't look good being bushy like yours. Maybe you should spend more time doing your hair like me then you might look halfway decent."

Hermione stopped, took a deep breath, and continued walking, choosing to ignore his comments.

"What? No smart remarks? No threats? Come on Granger, you're boring me here." He said in a fake pleading voice.

"I'm not here for your entertainment Malfoy!" She exclaimed.

"Then what are you good at then? Cause I don't know." Draco smirked. Hermione whirled around. Unshed tears clouding her chocolate eyes.

"Why can't you be nice this year! Have you thought about that? We have to spend the rest of our seventh year together locked in a room and all you know how to do is be a thickheaded, good for nothing, pureblooded git who…" the rest of Hermione's words were stopped by Draco's lips pressed against hers. The kiss wasn't long but felted like going downhill on a roller coaster. Before Draco knew it, he was pushed away roughly and stared at the shocked brown haired Gryffindor.

Draco was lost for words. He couldn't explain why he just kissed the girl in front of him that he swore he'd never have a relationship with, but now found himself in awe at the beauty. 'That felt like more than just a kiss.' He thought to himself. He'd never felt like that before kissing a girl. 'So why is Granger different?'

Hermione, regaining her composer, "What the hell was that!" She yelled at the boy.

"Just in case you didn't realize, Granger, that was a kiss for those who can't comprehend that action" he fired back.

"That was not a kiss! You can't just go around kissing me like that!" She yelled, finally letting the tears escape her eyes. The moment the first one fell, she ran down the corridor and around the corner leaving a bewildered Draco behind. Merlin knew what just happened. Draco couldn't understand the feelings that he felt for the head girl. They were new, unexpected, and down right scary as hell.

Gathering his things, he headed down to the great hall not paying to what he was doing due to the strenuous thoughts flowing through his head. 'What the hell happened back there? And why did she run?' But before he could come up with a rational idea, he bumped into someone, nearly being sprawled across the floor.

"Mr. Malfoy! Would you mind watching were you're going?" She scolded him. But when she realized he was still in a daze she asked, "Malfoy? Are you okay?"

Draco realized someone was talking to him and he snapped out of it. "Um…yeah. sure. Just thinking."

"Well don't hurt yourself." She gave a doubtful look.

"Will do. I mean I won't. hurt myself." He said trying to stay focus on what she was saying but found unusually hard.

"Oh, before we part ways, I wanted to ask what is going on with the Slytherin house and you? You didn't seem to be getting along at the feast last night?"

Just then his mind was sharpened. "Oh! I need to talk to you! In private. If you have time of course. I mean I understand if you're busy…"

"Well, Malfoy if it's something important then I think now would be a good time to talk. Let's go to my office." McGonagall turned and headed toward the transfiguration class.

"Um…professor? Why is your office still here?" Draco asked when they finally reached her door. "I mean, you are the Headmistress and all…" he begun.

"That is none of your business Malfoy." She answered taking a seat behind her desk. "I assure you, I'd rather say in here anyway. It's been like a home for a long time. Moving up there is not necessary." She said rather harshly. "Anyway, back to more important matters. What do you need to talk to me about?"

"This summer…" he told her what had occurred over the summer. Without her making any interruptions. The shocked teacher just sat there and listened to what the blonde boy had to say. When he was finished, she was at lost for words but managed to find her words and talked to him.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy. I-I don't know what to say." She stuttered. "I'm truly sorry about your loss. It must be horrible living in that cabin right after she died." It looked like she was about to cry. The professor shook it off and continued. "But, we must not dwell on the past. Now about you switching sides. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. I don't think I could stand having one of my students fighting against us."

Draco just nodded at everything she had said so far. He really wasn't the one for sympathy.

"But to more important matters. You know you are in grave danger now. Right? The dark lord must be furious with you now. He will find anyway to get back at you. I'm sure he has his followers watching you. So to insure your safety, I will have to cast a spell on you. Now this is no simple spell. You understand right?" Nod. "Okay, well I will need a few things from you. A blood sample, some of your clothes, and a name of someone you trust."

"Um…excuse me professor, but why do you need a name of someone I trust." He asked confused.

"Oh, you don't think I would let you wander around this castle with death eaters children roaming around here? That would be crazy. Now, anyone I mind?" She asked patiently.

"Professor, you know there isn't anyone here that I really can trust. Right? I mean, I never even really had friends if you paid enough attention."

"Oh Malfoy, I'm sure you can think of someone that you think would be trustworthy."

"No, mam, there isn't anyone."

"Then I will have to chose for you then if you don't mind. I'm sure you have all the other things I need right?" Nod. "Then I will get the new potions master to start on the potion for the spell to be completed. I will need these things by next week. But until the spell in done, you can't wander wily nily around the school."

"What does that mean? Professor?" He asked. She wasn't really suggesting that…

"You'll have someone with you at all times. There is no point in making the potion if you die now is there?"

Draco shook his head in defeat.

"Very well then. Seeing as how you missed breakfast, I take it you have a class to get to pretty soon? It's potions I believe. Isn't it?"

"Yes professor."

"Well, don't just sit there, get going!" She said ushering him out the room. "And hurry up! You have three minutes!"

'Great. Not only do I have to watch my back around this damned school but have someone follow me everywhere I go. Great. Just bloody great.' Draco walked to the dungeons to meet his new professor.

Before the talk…

Hermione ran down the spiral staircase in tears. Emotions overwhelmed her. She couldn't handle it. Life never was this difficult before. How she wished it was like her second year. Just worrying about school and helping Harry. Now she had to deal with her new found feelings with Draco. This was a bit much for the head girl. Not to mention N.E.W.T's that were coming up. What was a girl to do. She collapsed against the wall outside the great hall. She couldn't walk in there with tears streaming down her face. Everyone would expect something. So, Hermione gathered all her strength, stood up, wiped away her stray tears and pushed the doors open. Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to see who the late comer was. Hermione felt every eye on her. She wondered what she looked like with puffy red eyes walking in late.

She made a bee lie straight over to the boys. Harry looked up as she neared with concern in his eyes.

"Hey, Hermione, what took you so long? Breakfast is almost over. Have you been crying?" He said leaning over. Ron did the same.

"Was it the ferret? What did he do? I'll…" Ron started.

"Calm down you two. I'm fine." She whispered back to them. Trying to not to make a scene. "I'm just under a little bit of pressure is all. But everything else is okay." She lied. Harry could see right through her but decided to leave it alone.

"Well, come on. It's time to go to class. Let's not be late for our new potions teacher." The trio gathered their things, and left the great hall together toward the dungeons. When they arrived, they were the first ones there. They took the seats in the back as usual.

"So, what do you think we'll make this year?" Harry leaned over to talk to Ron.

"I wouldn't have clue mate. I hope something not hard."

"Ron, this is a N.E.W.T. class. Of course most of the things will be hard to make." Hermione resolved. The boys shrugged their shoulders and talked each other leaving Hermione to wander in thoughts.

'What did that kiss mean? It surly wasn't just a kiss. It felt so much more than just a kiss. Why did she feel like she had feelings for Draco all of a sudden? This is so unlike her to be falling for the enemy.

The students started trickling in until everyone had finally arrived. Hermione looked around and notice that not a lot of people got to take this class. There was about 15 students in there. All of them being Slytherin or Gryffindor. Then Hermione noticed it. Draco wasn't in there.

"Good morning class. I hope your breakfast was good." Said professor Schulenburg. "Well, it seems we are missing one more student. But I'm sure where ever he or she is, that they'll be here soon. Well, anyway, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Professor Schulenburg. I will be teaching your potions class. This class is by far the hardest you'll ever have this year. And I won't be easy on you. So it's best you stay up with class as a whole. Because you will be left behind. Now, I hear that your last potions teacher wasn't the nicest…"

"That's a understatement," Ron said under his breath but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Well, It's Mr. Weasley isn't?" Ron nodded. "Well, I haven't heard a lot from the teachers, but I've heard you haven't been a bundle of joy either." He told the Red Head with a knowing look in his eyes. "But let's get started."

Ron leaned over and whispered to Hermione and Harry. "I don't like him either. He knows to much about me. There is just no possible way he would know that much about me. Merlin knows what he knows about the you two." Harry just shook his head.

"I'm telling you two, there is nothing wrong with the guy. He's perfectly normal…" just then the dungeons doors swung opened revealing Draco rushing in.

"Sorry I'm late Professor. I had to talk to Professor McGonagall." Draco said taking a seat in the front away from everyone else.

"Quite alright. Now, were was I? Oh yes. We will be making a potion to restore energy to a single life force. This potion is used in battles and Aurors use it a lot when their partner is in the mist of dying. The name of the potion is called "Life of Amora." actually there is a story to this. Would you like to hear it?" The class nodded in eagerness. "Very well."

"You might of heard of the story before. Amora was a powerful muggleborn witch. Her life wasn't all happiness like it should be for a seventeen year old girl. There was conflict with her parents and such. They didn't approve of her being a witch. So they told her that she either stop practicing magic or she leave their house and never come back. Now, Amora loved her parents very much and the idea of never seeing them again broke her heart. So she decided to give up on magic and live with her parents.

A few years pass and Amora fell in love with a wizard. Now, their love was not meant to be. See, he was a pureblooded wizard. And of course, their love was forbidden. They were told to stay away from each other but neither listened. Night after night they would make secret outings to visit each other. Neither one was aware that his father knew about their meetings at night. He was furious. So he told his son that if he ever saw her again that he would kill her.

Amora was devastated that her love would never come to her again. One night, while she cried to herself in her dark room, her love came to see her. Delighted, they ran away together, promising to never be separated. When his father found out, he went on a killing rampage looking for the two lovers. When they found out, they hid even more so than before. But it didn't work, he found his son and his lover. He sent a curse that would kill the victim slowly and painfully toward her. His son jumped in he way of the curse and saved Amora.

Now enraged, Amora killed his father but it did nothing to help her lover. Thinking of anyway to save him, she turned to magic again. She had three days to save him or she would lose him forever. So Amora, being the smart witch she was, made a potion for him. The incantation went like this, 'to save a life, I give mine, to divide my soul, three times, so that you may live a full, and I a half, for the love of ours, let it be. When he woke up the next day, he had no memory of what occurred just two days ago. After that, they both lived happily together. They had a child soon after. But soon as the child was five, Amora died. Her lover didn't know what had caused her to die so early. Devastated, he killed the child. Thinking that he had caused his love to parish, he killed himself also."

The class sat in silence the entire time, mouths gaped opened.

"So does anyone know what the incantation meant?" No one raised their hands. "Well, since class is almost over, we won't have time to make the potion. But, for extra credit, I want to see if anyone can tell me what the spell meant. Next class, we'll begin the potion. Class dismissed." Everyone gathered their things talking to each other about the story they just heard.

"Hey Hermione do you know what the meaning of the spell is?" Ron asked Hermione. She shook her head.

"I have no Idea. I mean her giving up half her life to save his is pretty obvious. But why divide into three parts. That doesn't make sense. Maybe I'll look it up later in the library."

"Hey, did you notice how Draco didn't sit with the rest of the Slytherin in class?" Harry asked.

At the mention of Draco, Hermione fell silent and in deep thought again. Why did her heart skip a beat when he walked in class? What happened so that the Slytherin pushed him away. Why did he kiss her? When the last thought crossed her mind, someone bumped into her nearly sending her to the ground. When she looked up, she saw it was Draco.

"Watch it Malfoy!" Harry said helping Hermione up.

"Shut up Potter. I didn't mean to. I didn't see her. Sorry Granger." He said in a softer tone. They locked eyes for a second then turned away and continued their separate ways.

"What the hell was that all about?" Harry asked.

"He knew he saw her. He's just being his ignorant self again. Hermione you okay?" Ron asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She told them. "Hey, I'll meet you in Transfiguration." She told them. Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Are you sure you're okay Hermione? You haven't been yourself lately. I'm worried."

"I'm fine. Really I am. I just want to go and pick up a book from the library real quick. I'll meet you in class." She waved and headed for the library.

When she rounded the corner, someone grabbed her from inside a class room and pulled her inside. Hermione would of screamed if a hand wasn't over her mouth. But she realized that it wasn't rough at all. So she just relaxed a little.

"Good, now I'm going to let you go and don't run out. We need to talk." Said the voice of Draco. Hermione turned around to face him.

"What the hell! You can't just go pulling me into empty rooms either! What the hell is going on!" She questioned him.

"Calm down Granger. I just need to talk to you." He said. Hermione just crossed her arms.

"Fine. You have five minutes." Hermione found the nearest chair and sat down.

Draco began. "Did you feel anything out of that kiss?" He asked her. Hermione just stared at him.

"Did he feel it too?" She asked herself. He continued.

"I know you did. Cause I felt something. I don't know what this means. Granger." He said taking a seat next to her. She nodded her head slightly. "Do you know what this means?"

"No."

"Me neither. Why did you run away like that?" He asked her.

Hermione thought about it. She didn't know herself. "I don't know. Just to many emotions I guess."

"Want to talk about it?" He asked her.

Hermione looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"I don't want to be enemies anymore Granger. Can we be friends? No one has to know. I just need a friend to talk to sometimes. I-I don't think I trust anyone else but you now." Hermione could of sworn she saw tears brimming his silver eyes. It almost brought tears to hers. Almost.

"Malfoy, I don't know what you're playing at-"

"I'm not playing! I've never been more serious in my life. Have you noticed that I'm no longer on talking terms with the Slytherin house anymore?" She nodded. "They all hate my guts now."

"Why?"

"I abandoned them this summer. My father killed my mother and I decided that the dark side is not the one for me. They're all furious with me. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to kill me in the middle of the corridor." He looked in her eyes. Did he see…tears? For him?

"I'm so sorry Malfoy." She leaned over an gave him a hug. "I had no idea." Her shoulders shook and he realized that she was crying again.

"Granger, you don't have to feel sorry for me." He told her. She pulled back and the warmth the he felt was replaced with a cold emptiness.

"I never would of thought of your father doing something like that. It looks like my summer wasn't the only horrible one." She said looking down.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked confused.

"My father. He-he died in car accident. My mother was absolutely horrid this summer. I almost wasn't allowed to come back." She confessed. "My summer has been the worst."

"Granger, I don't know what it is exactly you want. But if you need anything at all, I'm here." He told her.

"Thank you." She replied, wiping away tears. "Well, I guess we should be getting to class before we're late." She said gathering the bag and books.

"Yeah."

"Do you think we should go together? Or one at a time." She asked him.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Well, we can't exactly walk in there together. Ron and Harry would blow your balls off."

"I guess you're right. Well, maybe you should walk in first and I'll wait 30 seconds before walking in. that way it won't look like we walked in together on purpose."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you again Malfoy. You may be the only one I can talk to now." And with that, Hermione turned around and left the room, heading toward her next class.

"No problem. No problem at all."

okay, i just wanted to take the time to thank all of those who read and reviewed my story so far. i can't tell you how much it means to me that you review my story. it shows that you really do like it and it means the world to me. so, once again thank you sooo much!

-Carmel90


	8. Once More

**Disclaimer: as much as I would love to have invented Harry Potter, sadly, I didn't. just the plot in this story and all the others I have written. Oh, and any other character that is new to the Harry potter world. I give all credit to Ms. J.K. Rowlings. ( this is the only disclaimer I'm sending out.)**

So enough talking nonsense, on with the story!

"Hey Hermione, what you reading?" Draco asked taking a seat next to her in the library, taking a bite out of his apple.

"Gods Draco! You scared me!" Hermione exclaimed, putting her hand over her chest and breathing deeply. She smirked. "You know, if Madam Pince found you eating that in here, she'd kill you." Hermione took a look around for the librarian. She was no where to be found. Hermione leaned in closer to Draco. "You also know if anyone saw us sitting together actually being civilized they'd talk?"

"What can they say? We're head Boy and Girl. We have to be civilized. Don't we?" Draco asked taking another bite of his half eaten apple.

Hermione huffed and returned to her book to be interrupted once more.

"You didn't answer my question," Draco said in a sing song voice.

"I'm researching the potion and the background history of Amora. It's really interesting. The bits and pieces I found so far. There's not much about her in any of the books around here. I've even been to the restricted section. Why would she be in there I wouldn't know. But that's were I got this book. Which doesn't say much anyway."

"What does it say?" Draco asked leaning in to look at the book.

"Nothing that we haven't already heard." She sighed closing the book.

"Have you found anything on the potion? "

"Nope. Which makes me wonder more about our new teacher. Why isn't any of the things we've learned about in the school library?"

"What do you mean?"

"The potion isn't anywhere to be found, neither is her story." Hermione said.

"Hermione, maybe your putting to much into all of this." Draco said vanishing the core of the finished apple.

"I don't know. Maybe I didn't look good enough. Maybe its in one of the books…"

"Alright, come on." Draco said grabbing her arm and making her stumble out of her chair.

"Hey! Wait were are we going?" She asked trying to regain her footing.

"You'll see." He said. Pulling her along.

"Well, can you let me go then! You're hurting me." She said trying to pull free from him.

"Hurting you? Hermione I'm not even grabbing you hard." He said turning around to look at her arm. Hermione started to panic. It was the arm where her recent scars were.

"It just hurts a little." she said snatching her arm away from him before he could look closer at it.

Draco found this a little odd as she walked around him still holding her arm close to her as if it was going to run away. "Come on then. Don't just stand there. We have somewhere to go don't we?" She said walking ahead.

"Hermione, what's wrong with your arm?" Draco asked catching up to her.

"Oh its nothing. I think I might have sprained it somehow."

"Then let me take a look at it then," he said grabbing her arm.

"NO! don't! it's fine really it is. It just…" But she was too late. Draco had lifted up her sleeve and revealed the old and new scars on her arm.

At first he was speechless. Her perfect creamy skin was scared in the most unreal way. He almost felt dizzy from seeing them. Then he looked up at her. She looked as if it was the first time she ever saw them in her life. Then she looked up as well.

"Hermione…" he gasped. Letting her arm go and backing away. "I-I don't understand." Draco stuttered. When Hermione saw him back away as if she was something disgusting she felt the tears swell in her eyes and one finally fall.

"Draco, no… wait." She said reaching out for him as he continued to step backwards.

"No, don't t-touch me. What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you understand that you could end your life?! FOREVER!? Come on Hermione, you're smarter than this! You KNOW better than this!" He yelled, anger flashing over his features.

Hermione halted. She felt the tears in her eyes fall finally in streams. She fell to the ground in a small heap. "You don't understand. So much pain…don't know how to deal…please." She said between gasp of air. "it's the only way…I can't take it…don't leave me."

Draco rushed over to her and grabbed her into a tight embrace. Hermione pleading did him in. he couldn't stand watching the smart, all knowing Griffindor girl look like this. Look, weak. "Shush. Hermione its okay. Stop crying. Shush. Come on. Where's that Griffindor strength at? Eh?" Classes were about to end and Draco had to get Hermione back to the room. "Hey, Hermione we have to get you back up to the room if you don't want everyone to see you like this. Okay?" She nodded and stood up with the help of Draco. They walked to the head boy and girl room, taking any shortcuts they could to avoid any unwanted questions.

Hermione had stopped her crying by now. She just let Draco lead her to the couch and sit her down. Draco stared at the girl. She looked so small and fragile now.

"Hermione are you going to be okay now?" He asked sitting down next to her.

"You hate me now don't you?" She asked, never looking up at him.

"What! Hate you? Hermione what you're doing isn't smart and I sure as hell won't allow you to do it anymore but I won't hate you over it." He reasured.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said softly.

"I think you should get some rest now. It looks like you've exhausted yourself beyond repair."

"I don't want to go to my room right now. I have to finish my homework before dinner." Hermione got up to look for her bag. "Oh no! I left my things in the library! I have to go get it!" She said rushing to the door but Draco stopped her.

"Sorry Granger, you're not leaving right now. Look at you! Do you want questions?" He said sitting her back down on the couch.

"I guess you're right."

"Well, do you want anything from the kitchen?" He said walking over to the small kitchen in the corner.

"Draco? Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked staring into the fireplace with a blank look on her face.

"What do you mean?" he asked opening a bottle of butter bear.

"All of a sudden we're friends now and I don't understand why." Hermione said still not looking at him.

Draco sat down beside her. "I really don't know myself. I guess I just need a friend. And I have a feeling you might be that friend I'm looking for."

"But just yesterday, you were yelling at me to not touch any of your things. And now you actually care about how I feel."

"Hermione just leave it at that! I don't understand why we're all of a sudden friends now. All I do know is that I don't mind it and neither should you! Do you want me calling you a mudblood every chance I get? Would you like it I continued picking on you everyday?" He yelled standing up.

Hermione just stared at him. "I-I …no. your right. Things are better than they were now. I'm sorry." She said. Turning her gaze back to the fire.

"Hermione what the hell has happened to you? You never acted like this. You've always had something to say back to me. And now…its like you don't even care."

Hermione didn't say anything at first. The fire just seemed so damn interesting now. Maybe the answers lay in the flames somewhere.

"I don't know. Losing my father had a big impact on me I guess. I loved him so much. Now he's gone and I don't know how to deal."

Draco sat his drank down on the coffee table and resumed his seat next to her. "Is he the reason you cut yourself now?" He asked. Breaking the ice.

Hermione just nodded her head.

"Does Potter and Weasley know about this?"

"No. And I don't want them to know either. They'll just act over protective of me even more than they do now. I don't think I can handle that right now." She said.

"Don't you think they deserve to know though? I mean they are your best friends aren't they?"

"I know but I can't tell them! I just can't!" Just then the door opened up to reveal Ron and Harry.

"Hey Hermione are you going to dinner?" They yelled out looking around for their friend. They looked over to the couch and saw the other two. Sitting so very close to each other.

"Malfoy! What the hell are you doing?" Ron yelled running over to where they were. "Hermione are you okay? Did he do anything to you?"

"Ron let got of me! I'm fine! Merlin! I don't need you to come to my rescue all the time! I'm fine! We where just talking! I'm not going to dinner. Thanks for asking." She said sarcastically, shoving Ron off of her and running to her bedroom, slamming it shut.

"Malfoy. What did you do!" Ron yelled at the blonde boy on the couch.

"It wasn't me who made her mad. In case you didn't realize, she was perfectly fine before you came barging in here like I was holding knife to her neck or something."

"Whatever. She never acts like that with us. You better stay away from her Malfoy." Ron said turning around to leave the common room. Harry took one last look at Hermiones' closed door before heading out himself.

Draco waited to make sure they were gone for good before heading up to Hermione's room. "Okay, it's safe to come out now." He said through the door. He waited a second before he heard footsteps heading toward the door. Then it clicked and Hermione came out.

"See why I can't tell them? They act like that and they don't even know half of my problems." Hermione said looking at the door sadly.

"I agree. But they will be more upset that you didn't tell them and they found out themselves." He told her.

"Yeah your right. I…I don't know. I might tell them." She said heading back down to the couch.

"Well, they won't have much to worry about cause you're not doing it again. Understand?" Draco told her sitting across from her on his couch this time.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked furrowing her brows.

"I mean, while we are friends and live in the same quarters you are not going to do crazy things like cutting yourself. I personally won't allow it."

"Who are you to tell me what I'm not allowed to do. It's my bloody arm and if I want to cut it to shreds then I'll do just that!" She countered. She wasn't about to allow him to tell her what to do, even if they were 'friends'.

"Whatever Granger. As long as you know that if I see any new ones, there will be hell to pay."

"Whatever. Malfoy. I'm going to take a bath. See you after dinner." She said and walked up to the bathroom that she shared with him.

"Make sure there aren't anymore cuts after the bath Hermione!" Draco yelled after her as he walked to the door.

Hermione walked into her bedroom and over to the closet with her clothes. She picked out some pink sweatpants and a black t-shirt with the Weird Sisters on it. Hermione walked to the bathroom and turned on the French vanilla bubbles. As the tub filled with water, Hermione locked both doors and undressed. The bathroom smelt so good and warm. After the bubbles filled up to the top of the pool like tub, Hermione climbed in and sat against the side. She let the water rock her to deep peaceful sleep.


	9. Is It Over?

Draco walked through the common room looking for the bushy brunette. He had finished dinner and left early, not waiting for dessert. He walked over to Hermione's room door and knocked softly.

"She must be sleep," he said in his head. Draco turned around towards his room and walked inside. Deciding to take a shower before bed. He walked over to his dresser and picked out his green towel. He walked to the bathroom noticing the bathroom still smelt like vanilla.

"Interesting choice of scent, seeing as how your anything but sweet." He said under his breathe. Draco walked over to the shower and turned it on. Wanting to check on Hermione still, he walked over to her bedroom door from inside the bathroom. Draco tried the knob but it was locked.

"Thats odd, why would she lock the bathroom door from the room. Now i bet she can't even get in now." He said taking out his wand and saying Alhamora. He heard a soft click and turned the knob. The room was empty. "Where is that..." he started to say but he heard a soft bubble from the tub instead. His heart stopped for a good few seconds before he acted.

Draco rushed to the tub and franticly looked for the cause of the bubble. There, he saw her on the other side underneath the water, hair fanned out around her. He dived into the luke warm water (really, the tub is that big.) and swam towards her. Diving under the water when he reached her, he grasped her arm and pulled her to the surface. "FUCK!" He yelled when she wasn't responsive. Panicking, he swarm to the side with her, laying her down on the tile floor. He ran to where he'd dropped his wand and dashed back to the soaking wet Hermione.

"Come on Hermione wake up!" He pleaded under his breath. He pointed his wand at her lungs and recited a incantation. Water leaked from Hermione mouth as she jerked up coughing. Gasping for air she tried to sit up. Draco ran for his towel and wrapped it around her. She was back to normal except now she was shaking like crazy.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Draco asked, trying to keep calm.

"Y-yes. W-what happened?" She asked looking up for answers.

"You almost drowned yourself!" He yelled losing his temper. She had the nerve! Hermione looked up at him with big wide eyes.

"W-what are you talking about?" She asked him. She didn't almost drown. Did she?

"I came in here to take a shower and I wanted to check on you to make sure you were okay and you weren't in your room. Then I heard you go under. And I ran to you and saved your bloody life. Now I don't even know why." He said the last part quieter.

"You wish you hadn't saved my life?" Hermione asked him in a small voice. She couldn't understand what was going on and it scared her.

"If you want to go around killing yourself, then I'd rather not sit here and try to persuade you not to." He said getting up from the wet floor.

"Wait Draco! I didn't try to kill myself. I fell asleep!" She raced after him.

"WHATEVER Granger!" Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"D-Draco what are you saying?" She asked him.

"What does it sound like? We aren't friends anymore! Alright? I don't even know why I stayed by your side when I found out you were cutting yourself! Your insane! I refuse to talk to someone who is suicidal! Do you hear me?! REFUSE!"

"I didn't try to kill myself! Honest! Why won't you believe me?" She asked. They'd just became friends and she already needed him more than anything, he couldn't just get up and go, not yet.

"Granger, I think you should get the hell out of my room. You might contaminate my things." He said with evil in his eyes. Hermione's breath cut short.

"You don't mean that." She said trying to convince herself more than anything.

"No! I mean every bit of it! Now get the hell out!" He yelled at her. Hermione ran out of his room, through the bathroom, almost slipping on the floor, to her room and slammed her door shut. Hermione leaned again the bathroom door and slid down to the floor. How did she make friends with Draco and then become enemies again just as fast. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs and cried. Hard. Life wasn't fare. It just wasn't fair at all.

"Damn mudblood. She just doesn't get it does she! I fuckin love her and all she wants to do is kill herself! Well, I'll be damned if I start caring for her." Draco yelled, picking up one of his statues on his desk and threw it at the wall. He walked over to his bed and sat down dropping his head into his hands. He let one tear fall and promised that would be the last one that ever fell again.

The next day, Hermione woke up on the floor where she spent the night crying her eyes out. She looked at the clock. 8:30.

"Damn Malfoy, getting me all worked up." She said getting up and walking over to her closet to pick out her outfit for the day. She had Muggle Studies first class. After she dressed, she walked down the stairs to the common room and spotted Draco on the couch reading a book. Hermione decided not to aknowledge his presense and walked right pass him to the door.

* * *

Draco woke up exactly two hours after he had finally gotten to sleep. He stayed up all night thinking about that Griffindor. He turned to look at his clock. 8:00. after Draco took his shower, got dressed and spent half and hour doing his hair, he was ready. He walked out his room and headed down the common room area. Deciding not to go eat breakfast, Draco sat down on his couch and started reading one of the books from the shelf in his room. Only five minutes later, he found himself on the same word. Just then the head girls bedroom door opened and Hermione walked down the stairs. Draco pretended like she wasn't even there and continued reading his book. Well, at least continued trying to read his book. After he heard the portrait door close, he got up and walked out right behind her. He saw her turn the corner up ahead and calculated she was going to the Griffindor common room to get her friends.

"Hermione!" Exclaimed Lavender. "I haven't seen you much this year. How have you been?" She asked Hermione.

"Oh, fine. I guess. You know the normal. School and stuff." She said smiling back at her ex-room mate.

"Well, you should come and visit us more. We miss you up there." She said pointing toward the girls dorm.

"I'll try," She said back. "Hey, have you seen Ron and Harry?" Hermione asked taking a glance at the boys dorms.

"Oh those two? They are so odd now that your gone. You should of seen them yesterday. They stayed in one corner and pouted the entire time. Merlin knows whats wrong with them," she said.

"Okay thanks Lav," Hermione said and walked up to the boys dorms and knocked.

"Ron? Harry? Are you guys in there?" No answer. Hermione turned the knob and walked inside. The room was a complete mess. Clothes, trainers, cloaks, and socks were thrown all over the place. "Boys," she chuckled to herself. She walked over to ron's bed and pulled open the curtain. The only thing you could see was red hair sticking out from the top of the blanket.

"Ron. Ronald!" He jerked up. "Get up. Breakfast is starting." She said turning around to Harry's bed.

"Ugh...Hermione get out," Ron said turning over in his bed. Hermione shook her head and continued to wake Harry up. She opened his curtains and gasped. Seeing a another red head in harry's bed shocked her beyond belief.

Ron must of heard her cause he turned around. "What's the matter?" he asked trying to look at Harry's bed. Hermione closed his curtains and turned back to Ron. she'll talk to Harry about this later.

"Nothing Ron. Just hurry up and meet me in the Great Hall." She said leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Hermione headed towards the great hall, passing numerous ghost and students on the way. When she reached the great hall, she instantly wanted to look over to the Slytherin table but fought the urge and walked over to her table. She took a seat by the fire place. Neville was a few seats down from her. Padma was sitting next to Dean. Hermione reached over and grabbed a chocolate chip muffin and a apple from the fruit dish. She looked up and met eyes with a certain Slytherin on the other side of the room. His attention turning to something else as soon as he realized she saw him. Hermione felt blush creap up her checks and looked down again. The doors to the great hall opened and Ron walked in. mad.

_He must of found out after I left_. Hermione concluded. Ron walked over to where she was siting and sat down across from her.

"The nerve of him." He said scooping eggs and bacon onto his plate.

"Um...Ron whats the matter?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"That damn Potter is sleeping with my damn sister!" he said slamming his cup down on the table. People around him turned around to see what was the commotion was all about.

"Ron keep it down. You don't want everyone to hear you do you?"

"Right now I don't give a damn. I'm going to kill him. Watch me."

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Okay, after you left the room. I got up and started getting dressed. Then I heard giggles coming from Harry's bed. I got curious and opened the curtain to find Harry on top of my sister! The little whore. I swear. I'm going to kill him. He got away before I could get my hands on him. But wait till I see him. he'll regret ever touching her."

"Ron don't you think your taking this a bit far? I mean, they obviously like each other. Shouldn't they be together?" Hermione asked the fuming red head.

"I know but he's my best friend! He could of at least told me he was seeing her. He obviously knew it would make me pissed. Thats why he hid it from me. The damn..."

"Ronald Weasley don't you dare finish that sentence." Ginny said walking up behind him. She sent glares that could challenge Mrs. Weasley look.

"Get away from me Ginny." Ron said returning to his food.

"No, why the hell should I?"

"Cause I said so!" He yelled at her, rising to his feet.

"Then make me because I don't plan on moving an inch until I feel good and ready."

Ron huffed and sat back down. Choosing to ignore her.

Ginny took a seat next to him and he scooted over. "Ron honestly your being a big baby about this." She said reaching over for a orange.

"Ginny how come you didn't tell us?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I didn't tell this Olaf here cause I knew he would act like this. And I didn't tell you Hermione cause I never really got a chance since your almost never around anymore."

"Oh," Hermione said. "Well, when did it happen?" She asked.

"On the train ride here." Ginny said beaming.

Ron got up and walked toward the door.

"Were do you think he's going?" Hermione asked Ginny. They both shared a terrified look as realization hit them both. The two girls jumped up and rushed after him.

Draco sat down at the table away from everyone else as usual. They all shunned him away anyway. He reached over and stacked pancakes onto his plate and poured syrup on them. He looked down the table to meet everyone's glare. This was going to be a very interesting year indeed. Halfway through his pancakes, the Great Hall doors opened and Hermione walked in. His eyes followed her all the way to her seat. He watched her grab a muffin and apple. He caught her eye and looked away in a hurry. "Damn her. Why does she have to look so damn beautiful." He said to himself.

Draco looked up when he heard shouting coming from across the room. It was Weasley yelling again but Hermione seemed to have calmed him down. "Good the loud mouth fool."

"So, Malfoy, have you decided to come back to the dark lord and apologize?" Zambini asked him. Draco turned around to see the children of death eaters staring at him. Pansy was standing behind Zambini with her arms wrapped around his waste.

"So you two are a couple now?" He asked with that famous smirk on his face.

"Don't worry about that Malfoy. You should be worried about what the dark lord is going to do to you when we hand you over. It won't be pretty." He said and walked away. Draco looked up in time to see Hermione and Ginny Rush out the door. Well, isn't this year just great.


	10. Oh Merlin

Harry was tying his shoes when Ron burst in the room looking furious. Red in the face, Ron rushed over to Harry ready to beat him until he found himself staring at the tip of Harry's wand.

"Ron, I know your upset, but do you really think beating the mush out of me is going to help the situation at all?" Harry reasoned. "I know I should have told you about your sister and I but we both knew you would react this way. Man, you know you're my best friend and I would never hurt Ginny. Ever. And if thats what you're worried about then I guess we really aren't that great of best friends then." Harry lowered his wand and continued tying his shoes while Ron just stared at him in astonishment.

"H-Harry, I don't know what to say. I mean I always knew you would never really hurt Ginny on purpose, and I've always wanted her to be with someone who would treat her right. I just was shocked to see my baby sister in my best friends bed when I woke up. It kind of got my shaken up. I'm sorry mate for trying to come at you like that. Can you forgive me?" Ron was looking down the entire time during his speech. He felt like a right ass the way he over reacted.

"Aw, Ron you know I could never be upset with you over something like this. So, do you accept Ginny and me being together?" Harry asked uncertain.

"Of course mate. I mean, I know you'll treat her right. Unlike all the other guys she's dated at this blasted school. Just know this, if you even think about doing something she doesn't want to do, I will pumble you with or without that bloody wand of yours." Ron grinned. Harry still had to know that he wasn't going to let anything happen to Ginny. And he would be the first to do something if something happened to her. The two boys didn't notice Hermione and Ginny standing in the doorway during the entire speech. Hermione was looking back and forth at them both, happy that they weren't handling the situation the way Ron wanted to handle it. Unshed tears rested in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Ginny already had tears streaming down her face. Touched at how everything was handled. And how Harry stuck up for him and her. It was too much to bare, so Ginny ran to Harry who finally realized the girls presence, and embraced him in a hug.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so proud of you! Hermione and I thought you two were going to fight each other something awful! but you didn't! I love you!" The room went deadly silent at Ginny's rushed words. Ron's face turned slightly redder than it was and stared down at the floor. Hermione on the other hand let a smile grace her face and the tears finally fell. Her best friend finally found someone he could rely on and she loved him. This was just great. Perfect. Harry stared into Ginny's eyes while she turned even redder than Ron.

Cough cough "I'm sorry to interrupt but i think Ron and I should leave now." Hermione said turning around to leave but when Ron wasn't following her she turned to face him again. "Um...Ron its time to give them some time to themselves." Ron didn't move. "RON!"

"Fine!" he mumbled angrily. "Harry, don't forget what i said." he warned still not looking at anyone.

Hermione took one last look at the two, smiled and closed the door quietly. When Hermione reached the common room she looked around for Ron but she didn't see him. 'I guess he left for class. I should remind them class is about to start.' Hermione took one more glance at the boys dorm room. 'I think they can skip one class.' Hermione thought as she grabbed her things and left for Muggle Studies.

A few days passed and Harry and Ginny were going strong still. Ron had gotten somewhat comfortable with them being together but still would shy away from them when they showed public affection to each other.

Hermione and Draco on the other hand refuse to make amends again. Of course it wasn't Hermione's fault. Draco was just over reacting. She was not trying to kill herself. That tub accident was just that. An accident. But no, Draco wasn't going to listen to her. So now they both suffered. Hermione wanted someone to talk to but Harry and Ron was out of the question. Draco only wanted a true friend. Who he wouldn't Have to worry about them killing themselves.

Time in the heads common room was shallow. Hermione would be sitting on her side of the room and Draco would walk in and then tension would rise. Draco always started off with a rude comment.

"Here to dirty the common room with your mudblood? No doubt you've been cutting yourself like a common muggle." He would start.

and she would reply, "The only one dirtying the room Malfoy is you. Who spent months in a cabin with a house elf in the forest?" Draco would turn red in the face with furry as Hermione would rise off the couch and walk to her room.

Inside she would have a crying fit. Wondering why life is being so hard on her. But she would remain as quiet as possible so Draco wouldn't realize how distraught she really was. Draco stayed downstairs, staring at the headgirls door, breathing hard. He was caught up in hatred and sorrow for the way things were. Some nights, Draco would wake up to Hermione's screams but remained passive and not do anything though his heart reached out for her.

Draco still battled with his own problems everyday. The Slytherins and him remained at warlike tempers. Draco walked down the hallway, avoiding another attempt to end his life, and ran into McGonagall.

"Mr. Malfoy. Just the person I was looking for. I trust you've been looking for that person like we talked about earlier this year? And I trust you have someone in mind right?" She asked. of course Draco wasn't thinking about finding someone to help him out this year. He was too focused on avoiding the Slytherins and school work. When would he have time to think about something like that?

"Um, no, professor, I haven't really being focusing on that. You know, school work and all."

"Very well, I thought you'd be tided up with school." 'and a certain Griffindor too.' She thought to herself. "I've found someone for you. Someone I trust. Please follow me back to my office." She began walking to her office on the third floor, the fifth office she tried out this year.

'Man, why won't this blasted teacher stay in one spot?' he said in his head. 'Great its going to be someone I don't like. she would pick someone I don't like.' they arrived to the office and Draco and McGonagall walked inside. Unfortunately, there was someone inside waiting for them. That person stood up at the Headmistresses arrival.

"Miss Granger." McGonagall acknowledged the head girl. "I'm glad you are here." Hermione was hardly listening. her eyes remained on the other person who had walked inside. When their eyes locked, Draco snapped out of it and turn to his professor.

"Um, professor, what is Granger doing here?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"Take a seat you two, I will explain everything." she said taking a seat herself. "Miss Granger, I called you down here to ask a favor of you. One of our students here at Hogwarts are in danger. Since you're Headgirl, I know you will not object to my request." Hermione just shook her head yes.

_'Oh, Merlin, please don't let it be Malfoy_.' Hermione said desperately in her head.

_'Please don't let her have anything to do with me_.' Draco pleaded frantically in his own head.

"Miss Granger you are going to help Mr. Malfoy here." Hermione and Draco jaws dropped at the same time before Draco started objecting.

"Professor please don't worry Granger with my problems. I'm sure-" but he was interrupted.

"Mr. Malfoy, you yourself said you didn't have someone in mind. Granger is headgirl and the most responsible student here at Hogwarts." Draco begin to argue again but thought better of it. He sat back in his chair.

'And to think I was trying to avoid being around her. Now I'm going to have her following me everywhere.'

"I think this a great opportunity now that I think about it." McGonagall continued. "It'll show excellent house unity. I trust you two can handle something like this?" she asked. "If I hear so much as a disagreement out of you two, I might have to reconsider my choice of heads." she told them. showing how serious she was, the two nodded their understanding and got up to leave. "Professor Schulenburg will need to add your blood tomorrow. please meet him after your afternoon classes." and with that Hermione and Draco left the office, maintaining five feet between then.

"You never told me that the Slytherins and you were fighting," she said first, breaking the silence.

"I believe I did," he said arrogantly.

"I don't believe you did." Hermione argued again.

"I believe I did! And it doesn't matter anyway. McGonagall shouldn't have told you about my problems."

"She didn't."

"So you don't know anything?" he asked. Hermione shook her head no. "Good, I don't want you knowing my business anyway. It might make you depressed and you'd go cut yourself again." Hermione stopped in her tracks, tears threatening to spill from her amber colored eyes.

"Why are you like this?! I haven't done anything to you for you to act this way with me but yet you do!"

"Hermione you tried to kill yourself! You cut for the hell of it!" he yelled.

"You don't know what its-"

"Don't you dare say that to me! Don't even think about telling me I don't know what it's like!" he said walking toward her, closing the seven foot gap between them. "All my life, it's been about beatings, and murders! In case you forgot, my father beat my mother to death and she didn't want to live! I've had to live in a cabin in the middle of the woods! The Dark Lord is hunting me down all because of my last name! But not once have I done something so extreme as trying to cut my arm off!" Draco finished breathing hard from yelling. Hermione wiped tears off her face before she started to talk.

"M-maybe I'm not as strong as you." She resolved after a few minutes of silence. Her lip trembled and Draco wanted to kiss her for acting so damn foolish. "I don't know what to do Draco." she said quietly. "I've tried so hard to just not want to cut but it's so hard. It makes me feel better. I don't feel like the world is caving in on me anymore. I have all this built up pain inside and there isn't any other way to let it go but to cut. And I know its bad for me. Its terrible as a matter of fact and I know I'm smarter than this but you have to understand! it feels like I can't breath when I'm so upset and can't do anything about it. It's so restricting so the only way I know how to let it all out is to cut." She finished, tears streaming down her face. In that one second Draco ran to her and embraced her into a hug letting her soak his robes through.

"Hermione, I don't ever want to see or hear about you cutting yourself ever again. You could end your life and I wouldn't have anyone with me anymore. If you have something going on and you don't know how to deal, come talk to me okay? Promise me that," he told her looking into her tear soaked eyes. She shook her head yes. "No. I want to hear you promise me that."

"I promise I'll never cut anymore Draco." she whispered to him wiping the tears off her face.

"We only have each other now." He said, not meaning to speak out loud but his mouth just wouldn't stop. "If I was to lose you, I-I'd-" suddenly the bell rung signaling time for lunch. Students passed the hallway and looked at the two heads in an embrace in the middle of the corridor. Realizing they were still together, Draco and Hermione snatched away from each other.

"Um, I'll see you after lunch" Draco said turning the other way to the Great hall. Hermione still hadn't said anything as she turned around to leave to the grounds, with a small smile gracing her face.


	11. Threatened

"Harry, do you know what's wrong with Hermione?" Ron asked Harry on their way to Transfiguration.

"No actually, I haven't noticed anything at all," Harry replied matter of factly.

"Well, I wouldn't either if I was snogging a girl in the astronomy tower ever bloody second of the day," Ron said more to himself than Harry, but Harry heard him anyway.

"Ron, I don't snog a girl like that. Ginny and I-,"

"Are always going at it! No wonder you haven't noticed anything about Hermione," Ron finished.

"Whatever," Harry replied quietly. "SO are you going to tell me what's going on?" Harry finally asked. They had finally reached the classroom and spotted Hermione sitting in their usual seats.

"I'll explain later. If you aren't glued by the lips," Ron snickered. Harry punched Ron playfully and laughed with his friend.

"Hey you guys!" Hermione greeted them. _Always a facade Hermione._ She said in her head. "What took you guys so long? Class is about to start," She asked them as they took a seat on each side of her, the trio position.

"We're not late Hermione, class doesn't start for another three minutes. We still have time to run to the kitchens if we wanted," Ron joked. Hermione just shook her head and turned toward the front of the class as Professor McGonagall entered the room. Her robes billowing behind her. But there was something different with her appearance. Her hair, which was always up in a bun was cascading down her back in slight curls. As she made it to the front of the room, the class started whispering furiously.

"Oh Merlin, what's gotten into her?" Ron asked Harry.

"I don't know, has there ever been a time when her hair was down? Did you even know it was curly?" Harry asked in return.

"Guys, maybe she just wanted to try something different," Hermione whispered to her chatty friends. They gave her a look and turned to the front.

"Good afternoon class," McGonagall announced.

"Good afternoon," the class mumbled in return.

"I'm sure you guys are wondering about my new appearance, well I thought it was time to try something different," Ron and harry turned to Hermione while she gave them the 'I told you so' look. They gave her a sorry look and returned their focus back to the front of the class.

"Well, on with the lesson," she said. "Today we will learn how to transfigure items on a person. Now this is particularly hard to complete,"

After class

"Hermione do you think you could help me with the spell in the common room?" Ron asked after class.

"Sure Ron. But why didn't you ask Harry?" She asked him. "He seems to have gotten it pretty well,"

"Yeah, well, he'll be lip locking all night with Ginny. I'd be more comfortable with you teaching," he joked.

"Have they really been going at it that much?" Hermione asked.

"Bloody hell have they! Every time I want to talk to Harry, he's always busy!"

"I wonder if-," Hermione began.

"Hey Granger! Can I talk to you for a minute?" Malfoy yelled across the hallway catching up to her. Hermione turned around and looked at him, then walked towards him meeting him half way, Ron followed.

"Weasley I didn't invite you. This is a private conversation so excuse us," Draco grabbed Hermione's arm and tried to pull her away from the red head but Ron pulled her other arm back.

"Anything you need to say, you can say in front of me," he told Draco. Draco looked at Hermione pleading with his eyes for her to make him go away.

"Ron I'll catch up in a minute. Its head stuff. Go practice the incantation for awhile," She told him.

"But Her-," Ron started.

"Ron go! This is head business," Hermione huffed.

"Fine, but I don't trust him, I'll come looking for you if you aren't back for dinner," Ron told her and walked away.

Hermione turned back to Draco. "Is something wrong?" She asked concern sparkling her eyes.

"No calm down. Remember the potion? I figured if we could go down a little earlier, so we could get it out of the way,"

"Of course! Let's go!" Hermione told him and headed toward the potions office.

boys dorm

"Hey Ron! Where's Hermione? I thought she was walking with you?" Harry asked.

"She was until Malfoy came, and she actually went with him!" Ron grumbled and walked over to Harry's trunk.

"Hey mate what's going on?" Harry asked him as he went through his trunk.

"The Mauders Map is in here right?" Ron asked.

"Yea, its in the drawer on the side. Didn't want it stolen and since I got that new trunk I can hide all sorts of things in it! Hey, you aren't spying on her are you?" Harry asked.

"Not her, him. I don't trust him at all,"

"Ron, I think you're over reacting. Its probably head stuff,"

"Yea, so why are they headed toward the dungeons?" Ron asked Harry.

"Are they? Well, maybe they need to talk to the professor?"

"Harry where's your invisibility cloak?"

"Why?"

"I'm going down there,"

"No your not! Leave Hermione alone!"

"Harry, she's been acting different since she became head girl with Malfoy. Something is off and I'm about to fine out. HA! I found it. Are you coming?" Ron asked.

"NO, I'd like Hermione talking to me later. I still need to graduate from Hogwarts. Good luck though,"

"Alright see ya!" Ron walked down towards the dungeons. He tried to be as quiet as possible. But nonetheless, you could still hear the common sound of trainers hitting stone. Ron reached the potions hallway and heard Hermione and Draco making their way to the potions office along with a light conversation.

"So, Hermione, how was your classes?" Draco started.

"They were fine I guess. You?" Hermione returned.

"Oh, it was okay. Nothing special, I mean, I didn't get to see you today." Draco said quietly. An awkward silence fell down upon the corridor. Ronald Weasley was now half away from the two heads now. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. But what happened shocked him beyond belief. Draco leaned in and kissed Hermione lightly on the lips. Ron was going through an internal battle at the moment. Half of him wanted to break the two up and pumble Malfoy, the other half wanted to turn around and barf. Ron saw Hermione shove Malfoy away and saw the hurt expression on Draco's face.

"I-I can't do this." Hermione said brushing a tear away. Quickly rushing past Ron probably to the head dorm. Ron felt her brush by. She hesitated shortly turning to see what she touched but when she saw nothing, she kept going. Ron turned back to Draco who was starring at down the corridor Hermione just went down. Suddenly a door behind Draco squeaked open and out walked the professor.

"Ah, Draco, so nice to see you finally. Come, let's get started shall we?" He said ushering him inside. Ron hurriedly checked the map for Hermione and saw that she had made it safely inside her room, then shoved the map into his robes and rushed behind Draco before the door could close.

"Is Miss Granger not coming down here tonight?" The professor asked.

"Oh, no she isn't," Draco answered. "At least I don't think so," He said regretting kissing her and taking off his robes and sitting in a chair. "So what exactly are we doing?" Draco asked. Ron was standing quietly in the farthest corner in the large office listening. The professor took his robes off and began rolling his sleeves up. Revealing the ominous dark mark that all death eaters wore. Ron noticed Draco tense in the office at the sight of the mark.

"You're a-,"

"Death Eater? Yes, I am. So are you. Well at least you used to be," Ron gasped. The two other people in the office heard the barely audible noise but after seeing no one in there continued. "The dark lord is furious with you. You were the most promising of al of us. You disappointed your father greatly. And he's taking it all out on your mother. She's very sick by the way. She's not going to live for much longer," Draco was out of his seat and wand in the professors face in a blink of an eye.

"Watch your mouth! I may not be a death eater anymore, but I can still kill and not feel a bit sorry about it,"

"Put that blasted wand down. We both know you don't have the guts to do anything to me," The professor laughed, pushing Draco's wand away. "So what's this about a potion I'm supposed to make?" He asked sitting at his desk. Draco lowered his wand and took his seat.

"I'll tell McGonagall," Draco threatened.

"That, Draco would be a bad idea. See, I know of your infatuation with Miss Granger. I also know she has no feelings for you. Now, how would we all feel if we found out that the head boy has poisoned the head girl?"

"I would never-,"

"But I would. See Draco, I'm going to make a deal with you. If my identity stays well hidden, your precious granger girl stays well. And I'll know if you've said anything. But enough about that. I need some of your blood,"

"No, I'm not giving you anything," Draco said, standing up, grabbing his robes, and headed for the door.

"Very well Draco, but remember what I told you. Tell no one and she stays safe," Draco opened the door and left. Ron didn't dare try to follow for he would have to open the door as well and surely that would be odd for the door to just open and close. So Ron watched the professor walk over to the fireplace and prepared to floo call someone. As he stuck his head in the fireplace Ron took this opportunity to leave. When he reached the door, he felt a brush of wind and the invisibility cloak fly off. He turned around and saw the professor shooting glares at him with is wand pointed directly at his face.

"How much have you heard?!" He yelled.

"I…no…I-," he stuttered searching for his own words. Ron found himself and the professor staring at each other and caught on at the last second. Legamency.

"Ah, I see you were here the entire time. Well that won't do will it?" Ron's eyes grew as realization hit him. "Don't worry Weasley. I'm not going to kill you. Yet," He smirked. "Imperio!" Ron watched as the unforgivable flew toward him and hit him square in the chest. The professor rushed over to his closet and pulled out a vial. "Here, drank this," He ordered him. Ron swallowed the potion effortlessly. "Aright you may leave," He told Ron handing the cloak back to him "Go back to the dorms and tell no one about what you saw. Get a goodnights rest Mr. Weasley," Ron walked out the room after putting the cloak black on and headed to the Gryffindor's common room. "Damn kids," He said to himself. Taking a seat at his desk. Just when he closed his eyes as fatigue hit him, he heard a swoosh come from the fire place and opened one eye to see Lucius Malfoy brush soot off his expensive robes.

"How did it go?" The older Malfoy asked.

"Quite well actually. Granger wasn't with him so I went with plan 'B' of course. I think dear Draco has fallen for the mud blood," He watched the blood flood Lucius's face. "She's quite pretty if you ask me. For a mud blood. I wouldn't mind putting my hands on her pretty little head,"

"Yes, well your not the only one who wants her. There's been a number of followers who want a piece of her. If you get my drift. She wouldn't be a bad addition to the manor if you ask me. Maybe we could play with her later," Lucius said with an evil smirk forgetting about his short burst of rage. "Anyway, the dark lord sent me to check on things here. Don't forget about the meeting on the first, it's supposed to be very important. I would hate to see the dark lord kill another death eater," He looked down at his pocket watch. "Oh, well I'll be going now. Good day," With that said Lucius vanished through the fireplace.

After Lucius left, the professor walked over to his mirror and studied his appearance. The potion was to wear off soon. It didn't matter though. He was going to bed shortly anyway. As he transformed back to his regular self, he changed clothes, locked the doors and went to bed. _Tomorrow was the beginning of the end_.


	12. Someone To Go To

A/N: ok, first off, I'm so terribly sorry this story is taking so long to come together. I've had writers block for months and only started again after starting another story. But thanks to all those who have stuck with this story through thick and thin and i apreciate it.

This chapter is a little weird and random, but it shows how our two characters become closer which is obviously very important. It gets really weird at the end, so for all those that aren't into rape, I've marked that section off in some stars.

well, happy reading! :)

* * *

Hermione sat in her room doing what she had been doing a lot lately. Crying her eyes out.

"Oh My God!" she yelled. "I can't do this!" She just felt like screaming. Screaming forever and ever. Not having to worry about school, her friends, this war, and especially Draco. But she couldn't. if she did, she would surely break her silencing spell that she'd cast so that Draco wouldn't hear her. So instead, she grabbed her pillow and muffled her pain. Her tears. She heard the portrait door open downstairs indicating Draco was back with his meeting with the potions master. She had done the wrong thing by leaving him down there by himself. She knew it wasn't safe for him. Not down there in the Slytherin domain. But she couldn't handle this! All of this! Protecting Draco, hiding things from her friends, being a head girl, keeping up her standards in her classes. This was overwhelming!

Suddenly she felt that pain again. That pain that caused her to cut herself. Her tears stopped coming down as fast, her body knew what could take the pain away. All she had to do was go in the bathroom and steal Draco's razor. Simple as that. He wouldn't even know she took it. Snatch and run. And she'd feel so much better afterward.

But she promised him. She promised him she wouldn't hurt herself purposely again. She had to hold true to her promises. But damn! Just a little cut. He wouldn't even know she had done anything. And she'd hide it form him real well. Yea, this could work. She wouldn't cut where anyone could see. Not on her arms. That's how she got caught last time. Her thigh. Yea! That could work.

Hermione placed her pillow back on her bed in the proper place. She checked to see if her bedroom door was locked manually and with a strong spell. Then she walked over to the bathroom that she had to share with Draco. She laid her ear on the door, to listen if he was in there. Her cover would be blown if he caught her stealing a razor. She cracked the door open just a little, and peeked inside. His door was closed. She opened it a little more and stuck her head inside. Yup, empty. She walked over to his side of the sink to where all his toiletries were. Toothbrush, hairbrush, cover up? She chuckled to herself. A few seconds later, she found it. Sitting underneath his washcloth. She snatched it and ran back to her room and shut the door behind her. Mission succeeded! Locking her bathroom door with a wave of her wand. She took her shoes off, stuffed her socks into them, and got back onto the middle of the bed.

Hermione stared at the faded scars on her arms. They were almost gone. Then she looked at her creamy skin on her thigh. Sweet release was so damn close, she just had to apply pressure…

"Hermione! Open up!" yelled Draco's voice on the other side of her door. Hermione jumped and dropped the razor on the floor. She snatched her wand off the nightstand and made it vanish._ Damnit! There goes my one way ticket to relief._ Her heart was beating so fast. Adrenaline rushing to her head. She waved her wand to the door and undid the spell.

"Come on in Draco." she called. He pushed through the door and looked around. Her room was just like his. Except with different colors and a vanity set.

"What are you doing?" he asked her. Her face was flushed. Something was up before he came up here. He had just got back from his _meeting_ with the potions master. Alone. This year sure has hell had been different. And harder. He wasn't even supposed to go down to his old common room.

"What do you mean?" Hermione answered, straight faced. A practiced liar.

"I refuse to believe you were just sitting in here starring at the walls and twiddling your thumbs." he told her, folding his arms.

"Well then that's your choice to believe I wasn't staring at the wall. Cause that's exactly what I was doing." she lied.

"Whatever Hermione." he muttered and turned to walk out of her room.

"Wait, don't go." she called toward him. "Tell me how the meeting went. I'm sorry I wasn't…down there." she mumbled the last part, wishing she hadn't said anything at all and had let him leave like he wanted. She heard him walking over to her bed and she heard him take a seat.

After he had sat down, he leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and just looked down at the floor. "It was decent." he lied. "Nothing happened." he told her. She nodded her head. Not looking at him. He sat up, and turned so he was facing her. "Hermione, where did that brave little Gryffindor that was part of the golden trio go? What happened to her?" he asked her. She didn't say anything. Tears started falling down her face again.

"To be completely honest, I have no idea." she told him as she wiped a tear away. "I'm stronger than this. I know I am. I just…Its like I died when my father did. I feel so alone now. Ignored. Like everyone can't see my pain. No matter how I try to show them." she looked up at him this time and caught him staring at her with something in his eyes. Pity. She turned away again.

"Don't look at me like that. Please." She told him.

"Like what?" he asked her. Confusion covering his features for a second.

"You have pity in your eyes. You pity me. I don't need anybodies pity." she told him.

"Hermione, I don't pity you. Never that. I'm just amazed that you, of all people, would let the death of your father bring you down this far. Turn you into somebody else."

"Well your not the same either Draco." she muttered.

"yea, well the way my life was at the time, I was blind. I was going the wrong direction. Being led by the blind I guess you could say. I've changed for the better. And I know you can see that. But you, your different. You were fighting the good fight from the start. And you have great friends, as much as I hate to admit it." he chuckled. She chuckled a little herself. "See, I know your still in there. The Hermione that I hated last year. And I'm coming out the closet with everything else, I might as well tell you this. I envy you. So much. You have been going in the right direction this whole time. Top of the class. And no one expects more than what you can give. Potter and Weasley would kill for you. My friends, or what I thought were my friends want me dead. That's why it scares me to see you want to cause harm to yourself. When you have people who love you dearly. Still. My mother is dead, and my father would probably kill me himself if he could. Almost the whole Slytherin house wants me dead. And if they all don't now they will. I have no where to go. I have no one to love me, or send me letters during the morning post." He chuckled at his last statement. Opening up wasn't one of Draco's strong suits, but he did it. And felt good afterward.

Hermione was touched by his little speech. She never took the time to look at his life. Not from his eyes at least. He looked spoiled rotten. From the outside. But that's how everyone looked from the outside. Like everything was ok and for anyone to be unhappy would simply be the looking for attention.

"I never realized. I'm so sorry." she told him. "We had always thought you had everything." she crawled toward the side of the bed that he was sitting on. She saw the tears fall down his eyes. "Draco, remember that promise you made me when you found out I cut?" he looked up at her, understanding in his eyes. "Well that goes for you to. We're going to stick together. Through it all. I promise. And I'll make sure you come out of this war alive. You don't have to feel alone anymore. I'm right here. I'll even send you letters during the morning post." he laughed. She smiled.

"Thank you Hermione." he told her. "I think I just might get through this." she leaned over and hugged him. He hugged her back. They just held each other for a while. Comfortable in each others embrace.

Draco released her first. Hermione let go, looking into his silver eyes. They had a perfect understanding. They were in this together. Through thick and thin. She wasn't going to let anyone hurt him, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her. They had an unspoken bond now.

"Hermione, I have something to tell you." he told her. She sat back and was ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

He told her everything that had happened in the dungeons.

"Draco! We have to tell McGonagall! We have a death eater in the school! Spying on us! We have to protect this school as heads! Come on." she told him, using her wand to get her shoes and socks on again and jumped off the bed. She didn't get to far before Draco grabbed her arm.

"Hermione, we can't tell her. Or anyone else."

"And why the hell not?" she asked him, with her hand on her hip.

"He said he was going to hurt you. Wait, let me finished." He said after she was about to cut him off. "On my way back up here, I was thinking. I, we, could use this to our advantage. He doesn't know I told you does he? And I know full well that if he tried to hurt you, you could handle yourself."

She looked at him, not liking this one bit. "well, I have to tell Harry and Ron. They could help." she said turning to leave again but was stopped again.

"No, Hermione, listen, your smart. We can't tell anybody of what we know. You know that. Its too dangerous. That's probably what they want anyway. We have to keep this ourselves. At least until we learn more."

Hermione looked up into his silver eyes. Now they had a hint of ice blue in them. She could get lost inside those pools of his. She looked away and took a deep breathe.

"Your right. We'd put everyone in danger if we let out there's a death eater in the school. Everyone would go crazy." she concluded taking a seat on her bed again.

"And you understand that we can't tell Potter and Weasley right?"

"No, I don't understand that part," she started. "But if we're in this together, its best we don't argue about everything and just to agree." she gave him a weak smile. She was tired. Crying all day took a lot out of you.

"Thank you Hermione. Well, its getting late," he looked at his watch. 12:00am. "At least tomorrow's Saturday. Its midnight. Are you tired?"

"Yea, maybe just a little. Listening to a Slytherins woes all day tend to take a lot out of you, you see." she giggled at her joke and fell backward onto the bed in exhaustion. Draco chuckled.

"Well, I guess I should go back to my room then, and let the poor exhausted Gryffindor get her beauty sleep. Merlin knows she needs it." he joked. She threw a pillow at him and missed, giggling. He turned toward her, "Look at that!" he pointed to the discarded pillow a few feet behind him. "Violence! From the head girl none the less! I wonder what McGonagall would say if she found out you tried to murder me. The head boy dead. Killed by the Head Girl." he shook his head. Hermione laughed the whole time.

"I'm really going to murder you if you don't get out my room and let me get some sleep!" she told him, grabbing her wand and pointing at him teasingly.

"Okay okay, I'm leaving, see, outside the door." he put up his hands in fake surrender.

"You're a mess you know that? Goodnight." Hermione walked to her door, and after wishing him goodnight, she shut it. A smile on her face. _Well this night turned out a lot different than I'd expected. I wonder what his plan is. It better be good._ She sighed, _Malfoy's eyes are so gorgeous! Wait, I'm not falling for him that hard am I? _she laughed at herself. _No, that's silly. Me, fall for Malfoy. He's cute, but I don't think this would ever work between us. _

Hermione got undressed, deciding to take a shower in the morning before breakfast. She heard the shower turn on anyway. After putting all her things away, she turned out all the lights in her room and laid down. The moon was full tonight and emitted a soft glow into her room from the balcony. She finally believed things were getting better. She had someone to confide in. someone who felt and saw her pain. Yea, things were shaping up for the better. With Draco Malfoy none the less. This time a year ago, they hated each other, and now, things we so different. Hermione could only imagine what Harry and Ron would think about this if and when they found out.

Hermione's eyes started getting heavier and she fell into a deep sleep.

NEXT DAY

Draco woke to the sound of an owl pecking at his window. He rose out of his warm soft bed, and padded over to the window, with nothing but some pajama pants on. He opened his balcony window, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Looking at the owl, he noticed, for the first time, that the black hawk looking owl belonged to his father. _Great_.

Draco took the letter from the owl. And when it didn't leave, he realize it must have been told to stay until it got a reply to bring back. Draco walked inside his room, let the large bird inside, and sat on the edge of his bed to read the note.

_Draco,_

_I'm aware you have attempted to avoid the Dark Lord. And I hope you know that I am very deeply disappointed in you. You have shamed this entire family. You will be severely punished. Best of luck at school. _

_LM_

Draco balled the ridiculous paper up and burned it with his wand. He walked over to his writing desk, pulled out a piece of paper from the drawer and something to write with, and wrote back.

_Father_

_I'm sorry I've disappointed you and the family. Wait, I take that back, I'm not sorry at all. I never wanted follow behind the Dark Lord. You pushed me in that direction. And a bigger disappointment to the family would be you murdering your wife. You disappointed the family and your only son. You chose to follow a half blood than do right by your family. I hope you have a good rest of you life. For it is surely about to end._

_Draco Malfoy_

Draco rolled the letter up, tied it with a string, and gave it back to the owl staring at him.

"I'm sure you know where to take this. Don't come back." He warned. With a loud screech, the bird flew out the window and into the sky back to its owner. Draco looked at his watch. 7:30. Deciding he wouldn't fall back to sleep, he walked over to his closet and picked out his clothes for the day. He thought about yesterday. He was threatened, and had made a new friend in Hermione. He smiled at the thought of her. Yea, he had fallen for the girl. To bad she didn't feel the same way. He shrugged his shoulders and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shave the stubble off his face. Looking for the razor, he realized it wasn't there. Not in the same place he had left it yesterday morning at least. He'd ask Hermione about it later. Besides, he could just wave his wand and make his unwanted stubble go away.

"Draco, are you in there?" Called a sleepy sounding Hermione on the other side of her door.

"Yea, you can come in though." he called back. When she didn't reply or open the door, he said, "I'm decent. I promise." then Hermione opened the door peaking in.

"I had to be sure" she said, smiling, rubbing her eyes and looking at herself in the mirror. "Merlin, I look awful!" she exclaimed. Draco moved to her.

"Here, let me see." he asked of her.

"NO! You can't see me like this! You'll just probably go and tease me later about it. Not gonna happen Mister. Get out so I can get ready for the day." she started pushing him out the bathroom, turning her head so he wouldn't see her face.

"Oh come on Hermione, I'm sure you won't look more ugly than you would any other day. Just let me look. Please?" he teased, laughing at her.

"Ugh! Get out Draco!" she finally managed to shove him out the bathroom and shut the door, locking it for extra measure.

"You know that's my bathroom too right?" his muffled voice came from his room.

"but I'm busy! Go away!" she yelled back.

"Not a morning person then huh?" he said.

"Malfoy! Leave me alone!" she yelled, laughing at him.

"Fine, grumpy." he mumbled, with a smirk on his face.

"I heard that!" she threw at him. When he didn't say anything back, Hermione walked to her bedroom, and took all her clothes off and wrapped a towel around her. When she returned to the bathroom, she turned the shower on and while that heated up, she brushed her teeth.

When she was done taking her shower and grooming herself, she wrapped herself in her towel, went back to her room, to pick out the clothes she was going to wear for the day. Her hair was long and wavy and frizzy. She waved her wand over it and it fell down her back in soft silky curls. Looking around, she saw Hedwig sitting on her desk chair with a note attached to her beak. Hermione walked over, fed the snowy white owl some treats, and took the note.

_Hey mione, meet Ron and me in the Great Hall for breakfast. We all need to talk a little. _

_HP_

She balled the parchment up and threw it away. Picking up the book that had her captivated for the last two days, she headed down the stairs. When she reached the common room, she found Draco sitting on the couch reading a book of his own.

"Hey, whatcha reading?" she asked him.

He looked up, "Oh, um, its called Chasing Destiny. Some American author wrote it. Its pretty good. His name is Eric Jerome Dickey. You should read it." he suggested.

"I think I've heard it him. Yea, as a matter of fact, my mother used to be a big fan of his. I think I'll take a look at it when you're done, if you don't mind." she told him.

"Of course I don't mind. I'll give it to you when I'm finished." He smiled and returned back to his book. When she started walking to the door, he asked, "hey, are you headed down to the Great Hall?"

"Yea, gotta go meet Harry and Ron. Want me to walk you down there?" she asked him, not sure why he had asked to begin with.

"That'll be nice." he said, placing his book on the coffee table and getting up to walk to her. "Let's go." he smiled, offering her his arm.

As they walked down to the Great hall, linked by the arms, they received a number of glances and stares along the way. The two content heads walked, taking little or no notice to everyone else. When they arrived at the doors they went their separate ways, promising to see each other later. When Hermione reached the table where her friends sat, she once again got make weird looks for walking with the blonde Slytherin, but she of course ignored it all.

"Hey Hermione. How's it going?" Harry asked her. Ron was too busy stuffing his mouth with food to talk at the moment.

"Hey guys, I'm fine. How are you all?" she asked them.

"I'm good. And I suppose Ron here is fine as well." Harry said, laughing at his red headed friend.

"Ron?" Hermione called to him. "how's everything going?" she asked.

"oh, rits rine, row," he managed to swallow his food, " are you doing?" he asked her.

"That's disgusting you know that right?" she told him.

"You didn't answer my question. And I've been eating like this for seven years now. Don't you think its time you got use to it?" he asked her.

Hermione just shook her head in amusement and grabbed an apple off the fruit dish. "So, Harry, what did you want to talk about?" she asked her raven haired friend. When he didn't answer, she looked up to see his eyes fallowing Ginny out the Hall. "Harry?"

He turned at the sound of his name, "oh sorry Hermione, what were you saying?"

"I asked what was it that you needed to talk about?" she repeated herself.

Lowering his voice so that no one but the other two could hear him, he said., "I wanted to tell you guys that I've been thinking about how we're going to finish off Vol-"

"MR. MALFOY! PUT YOU WAND DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANCE YOU ARE THE HEAD BOY FOR MERLINS SAKE!" bellowed McGonagall's voice from across the Great Hall. Hermione looked up to see Draco and some random boy that Hermione was sure was named Blaise Zabini.

"I'm sorry Harry, maybe we could talk about this later." Hermione said as she got up, gathered up her things, and rushed over to the scene. Eyes were on her as she made her way across the hall to Draco. She made it as soon as McGonagall was escorting the two Slytherin out.

"I can take Zabini for you Professor," Hermione offered, giving Draco a puzzled look.

"That would be wonderful. Take him down to his head of house and meet me back in my office." she said curtly.

"Come on then." she said to the boy as she walked down another corridor.

After they had gotten far enough from the Great Hall, Zabini said, "Granger, you think you're all high and stuff because you're Head girl. But remember, you'll never be higher than me, mudblood."

"Just shut your trap before I personally close it for you." she hissed in his direction. Then all of suddenly, she was shoved up against a wall face first her wand arm behind her back in a painful way.

"Listen here you filth, no one talks down to me, especially someone like you." he snickered in her ear, pressing up against her bottom. "wow, Granger, you've grown up a lot over the past years, haven't you?" he growled.

"Get off you disgusting freak!" she yelled, struggling to get loose. Zabini squeezed her arm more and shoved her into an empty classroom. When she had reached down to get her wand, she realized it wasn't there. Looking up at the boy, she saw him twirling her wand in his hand and locking the door with a dark spell.

"Looks like your stuck now Granger. Now where were we?" he asked, advancing on her. When she tried to move around some of the desks, he rushed up on her and grabbed her. "I wouldn't advise you run, Kitty. That just makes me even more excited. He whispered in her ear as his hang snaked up toward her chest. "you know, there's few of us who've been lusting after you since last year. I can't wait till I tell them all how I took you." He said, throwing her facedown on a desk.

"no! Don't do this! You'll get in so much trouble! Please! Stop it!" Hermione pleaded with him as she felt his hand snake up her thigh to her panties.

"oh, I wouldn't do that either, don't beg." he said huskily. He grabbed her butt while she wiggled trying to get free. Hermione could feel the bulge growing in his pants against her bottom and tears started streaming down her face.

"Don't, no, stop it, leave me alone." Hermione cried, feeling defenseless for once in her life. He snatched her panties off, tearing them and lifted her skirt so he could see her round fleshy butt.

"and you have a nice ass Granger." he said, rubbing himself against her. He let his hand slip between her legs and graze her curly mound. he slid a finger inside her. Hermione started screaming now.

"NO! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO!" she fought harder, trying to get lose.

"you move to much you know that?" he asked her matter of factly. "I'm extremely eager to see what you taste like." he whispered so that she could barely hear him. After dipping two fingers into her, he pulled them out and stuck them in his mouth. "Hmm, taste sweet. Just like I thought." he murmured. Hermione felt him switch hands so that now he was holding her down with just one hand. She felt him slip his hand down between them to unfasten his pants. "Merlin, I can't wait to feel inside you." he told her, as he pulled his throbbing member out. Hermione felt a jerking motion from her captor and then felt the something warm meet her entrance. She started wiggling even more, trying break free from his grasp. "uhh, so warm. You're going to enjoy this as much as I will. Promise." he whispered. "Tell me something, Granger, are you a virgin?" he asked as he slowly pushed inside her, causing her to scream out. "I take that as a yes." he pushed inside a little more, her screams echoing around the room. Then he pulled out. "shit." he cursed.

Zabini backed away a little, but not enough to let her go. He reached down to pull his sleeve up, revealing the dark mark. "That bastard. He would call just when I was about to get busy. Well Granger, I guess that just means we're going to have to finish this some other time. I won't keep you waiting to long. I promise. And I'll leave your wand out here in the hall. Don't want you getting any ideas and trying to get me from behind. Oh, one last thing, I swear on Salazar Slytherin himself, that if you tell a soul about what I did, I'll make sure the next time we're together, you'll regret it." he warned her and undoing the spell that was on the door and leaving.

Hermione let herself fall to the floor by the desk that she got violated on. She sat there and screamed to herself, happy no one was in the hall at the time. She felt horrible. And her blasted body had responded to that type of sexual harassment. She had to tell someone, she just had to! But she didn't have the slightest idea of how.

Hours passed, and she was still sitting in the same spot. Her butt going numb. She had stopped crying a long time ago, but she didn't have the strength to get up and walk out of her torture chamber. Hermione had been staring at a crack in the wall. Just staring at it. Never looking away. It had to have been past lunch and almost dinner time. that's how long she'd been there for sure. She heard someone calling her name from a distance, but it was surely her imagination. No one would come looking for her. They probably wouldn't even notice she was missing from the whole day. No one would know what had happened to her either. She had concluded that she couldn't, no, she wouldn't tell anyone. They'd all look at her in a different way. This would just have to be another one of her secrets that she kept. But Zabini wouldn't get away with this. Not if she had anything to do with this. She'd murder him. She promised herself that much. That voice that she thought was calling her was getting closer and closer. Suddenly, the door that led to her escape opened up, letting in the sun and a figure she couldn't quite figure out.

"Hermione?" the voice called this time. She knew she had hear something. Hermione couldn't muster enough strength to look toward the silhouette. She just didn't care enough was more like it. The owner of the voice rushed to her. "Hermione! Look at me! I asked you what happened? When you never came to McGonagall's office we got concerned. And then you didn't show up to lunch and your friends hadn't seen you…Hermione, look at me!" yelled the frustrated voice. Hermione couldn't ignore such a request like that one. Not from him. She turned her head to the face that was too close and met those silver blue eyes that she could get lost in.

"Hermione," he eyes were silently pleading with her hazy ones. "Hermione, did Zabini hurt you?" he asked, dreading the worse. When she didn't respond, he reached out to put his hands on her shoulder but she jumped away from him fear in her eyes. "SHIT!" he yelled, not knowing what to do. He got up from where he was and walked over to the door getting ready to shut it until he saw her wand laying on the floor. He reached down and picked it up and shut the door.

"Hermione, I need you tell me what he did so I'll know what to do." Draco told her, walking back over to her. "hear, you have your wand back, and you know I won't hurt you. But I really need to know what happened." when she didn't say anything he said, "alright, would you like it I went and got Potter and Weasley? Would you be more comfortable if I did that?" he asked. She still didn't say anything but took her wand and waved at her legs. There was a soft glow and then it was normal again. Hermione then preceded to stand up from the position she had been sitting in for that last few hours, legs numb.

"alright, that's some progress," he said. "now, Hermione, please, you know I won't hurt you, I won't even tell, but I need you to tell me what happened in here. Did he rape you?" he asked, hoping that he was just being silly. When she shook her head no, he sighed. "Thank Merlin." he mumbled.

"He tried to though," Hermione said at last, looking at him. There was one tear sliding down her face already. Draco felt the rage grow inside him. Speechlessness overtaking him. _That bastard…he tried to pull his fucking stunt on Hermione. I swear, I'm going to kill him. And McGonagall won't be there to stop me this time. _

Draco turned toward the door, ready to go and hunt the Italian Slytherin down and kill him. By the time he reached the door though, Hermione stopped him.

"No, no, don't leave. Please." she said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She had been crying so much lately. It never seemed to stop. She reached out to him and he met her hand and wrapped his arms around her, holding her. Hermione let the tears fall when Draco held her. This overwhelming feeling cascaded from her chest to the rest of her body. If Draco wasn't there she didn't know how she would have done this much.

"shh. Hermione, its ok, I got you, everything will be ok. Its ok, shh, stop crying. I'm here now. I promise, he won't get away with this. that's a promise." Draco told her, comforting her more than he would ever realize.

When she had finally stopped crying, she just laid there in his arms. She felt so content just being held for the first time in a while. Everything felt perfect. Well, everything except her feelings. When a 30 minutes had passed he spoke first.

"Do you wanna go back to the common room?" he asked. She didn't say anything, she just nodded her head yes and started to get up. Her whole day was ruined. Thanks to that dark haired freak. She didn't even get to her homework because of him. "Come on, everyone should be down at dinner right now so the hall should be pretty deserted." He rose off the ground and held the door open for her. They made their way back to the common room without being seen by pretty much anyone except a few ghost. Draco mumbled the password to get in and helped Hermione up to her room.

"Want me to get bath started for you?" he asked her.

"No, I can do it thank you. I just want to be by myself for a while." she told him, grateful for him being there and being so nice to her.

"alright, if you need anything I'll be downstairs." Draco told her, turning to leave and shutting her door behind him. When the door was closed, Hermione just let all her feelings out in her tears and cried herself to sleep.


End file.
